Tick Tock
by Veggiechick
Summary: Ginny tries to escape the stress of her father's mortality by going back in time. Once there, she may find it impossible to return. Ginny/Sirius pairing.
1. Chapter 1: Escaping

_**Overall Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the persons, places, things, verbs, adjectives, etc. having to do with it. That is the exclusive property of the lucky Ms. Rowling and I just love to mess around in the magical world she has created.**_

_**This story came from me wondering why J.K. Rowling never provided Sirius with a significant other. At least, I never heard of him having one. Ginny Weasley being one of my favorite characters I wanted to put the two together. Add in a little time-travel to make sure there aren't too many creepy undertones and **_**voila!**_** A story was born.**_

_**Further Notes: The story will vacillate between Sirius's and Ginny's point of view. I don't think there will a POV from anyone else unless I just suddenly have an epiphany or something like that.**_

_**Disclaimer: Sadly, I am neither J.K. Rowling nor Harry Potter and so, own nothing. Well, except for some really fuzzy socks.**_

_**Chapter I: Escaping**_

Ginny was dreaming of Harry, which was typical. As the first boy she had ever loved, he showed up in her dreams quite a lot. They were going down to the Quidditch pitch to play the last game of the season. Harry walked beside her and Ginny knew, that strange way that you just know in dreams, that no one else was near. Harry turned to her suddenly. "Kiss me," he said. "For good luck." She willingly complied, only to have Harry pull back from her moments later with a rather disappointed look on his face "I thought you were Cho," he said while pulling away. "You cry too much Gin," Before she could retort that it was Cho, in fact, who cried way too much, Harry morphed into someone with long dark hair, and deep black eyes, as if he had taken a sudden draught of Polyjuice potion. The new boy leaned in to kiss her, and when their lips met, Ginny's heart stopped and her feet left the ground. Colors swam before her eyes. When they broke apart, she gazed into the depths of this mysterious boy's eyes. The rest of him was fairly hidden in shadow. "Ginny," he said to her. "You are perfect for me. Ginny…._Ginevra_…._Ginevra Weasley wake up!"_ his voice getting higher with every repetition of her name.

Ginny sat bolt upright in bed to find Professor McGonagall's face above her. Though she didn't want to forget the strange dream that she had just experienced, she also knew that Professors did not make a habit of waking their students in the middle of night, and, therefore, that something serious had happened. She wondered if, somehow, the DA had been found out. If it was that prat, Zacharias Smith who had blabbed…."Professor—?" she started to ask. "Wait, Ginevra, I will explain when your brothers are also present. Follow me." Obediently, Ginny got out of bed, quickly grabbing a Muggle jacket that was hanging from her bedpost to ward off the chilly winter drafts and stuffing her wand into its pocket. She followed Professor McGonagall to the boys' dormitory for seventh years. She watched as Fred and George were woken. Had the atmosphere not been so serious and tense she would have giggled at Fred murmuring Katie Bell's name into his bedclothes. The professor gave her twin brothers no more information than she had gotten.

"What's going on Gin?" George asked blinking sleep from his eyes as they all followed Professor McGonagall down the staircase and out of the Gryffindor common room.

"Yeah, when a bloke imagines being woken up in the middle of the night by a female….Professor McGonagall is not the first one to come to mind."

"I know who you were imagining Fred." Ginny said with a grin as Fred's ears started to turn scarlet. "What was Katie doing in that dream of yours anyway? Wait, never mind, don't tell me. I do _not_ want to know." Fred mumbled something about _sisters_ in her direction as she turned to George. "McGonagall hasn't told me anything, she woke me up a few minutes before you two."

The professor turned to face the three redheads. "I am sorry that circumstances require me to be so evasive. I cannot tell you more than your father was severely injured tonight performing a task for the Order. If it were not for Harry, we might not have known Arthur was in danger, until it was too late."

"Hang on a second, how did Harry know?" George immediately said.

"He saw what happened to Arthur in a…dream. I cannot say more at the moment. It is imperative that we get you to Dumbledore's office and out of Hogwarts as soon as possible." The expression on McGonagall's face was one of extreme irritation that she saved just for Dolores Umbridge, so Ginny knew that the self-appointed 'Hogwarts High Inquisitor' would not like whatever was about to happen.

"But…Professor—" George tried to clarify what was said.

"Dumbledore will explain further. There is no time now," was the only answer he received.

The group quickly walked the rest of the way in silence. So many questions bobbed around in Ginny's head that she could barely focus on not running into various suits of armor. What _exactly _had happened to her dad and what was he doing that was so dangerous it had resulted in him being 'severely' injured? What exactly did 'severely injured' mean? If Harry had seen what had happened, You-Know-Who had probably been directly involved. Ginny shuddered to think of her father ever having to face He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Her own encounter with a mere memory of You-Know-Who's teenage self was enough to give her nightmares to this day. She would confront Harry, for sure. No matter that he was the boy she had been infatuated with for three years, he was going to give her and her brothers answers, and none of this evasive waffle that they had gotten out of Professor McGonagall.

They reached the headmaster's office in record time. Professor McGonagall spoke the words "Fizzing Whizbee" and they all clambered upon the slowly rising staircase. Ginny was impatient and felt like running headlong up the stairs, bursting into the office, and demanding answers. She stayed put for the moment. When the stairs reached their destination, McGonagall opened the door and gestured for them all to step inside. Ginny saw that Ron and Harry were already there. Her brother looked just as frightened as she was. She made eye contact with Harry and spoke to him.

"Harry—what's going on?" she asked him. Though she was frightened, her voice was quite steady. Having six brothers had taught her that tears never helped a bad situation, unless of course you were trying to get one of them punished by her mother, but that couldn't apply here. "Professor McGonagall says you saw Dad hurt—" Harry dropped her gaze and looked ashamed of himself. Before Ginny could process what this meant, Dumbledore cut in. "Your father has been injured in the course of his work for the Order of the Phoenix," he said. "He has been taken to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I am sending you back to Sirius's house, which is much more convenient for the hospital than the Burrow. You will meet your mother there."

Ginny wasn't listening to too much of what was said next. She was annoyed; Professor McGonagall said that Dumbledore would explain, but he had said barely anything other than what was already mentioned. At least, he had said nothing more that pertained to anything important like her father's condition or who had injured him. Ginny stood, contemplating the fact that they were being sent out of the school so that they could visit her father in the hospital. His injuries must have been extensive if he had to be admitted into St. Mungo's; their mother usually mended all of the scrapes her husband and various children got themselves into.

Dumbledore said some other things that she was probably supposed to pay attention to, but at this point Ginny was too tired, stressed, worried, and confused to care. She looked up when Dumbledore said, "Come here, then," and joined the others in convening around his desk. On which there was an old kettle.

"You have all used a Portkey before?" Dumbledore inquired. Ginny nodded with the others and stretched out her hand to touch the tip of the spout. The recent events, which at first had angered her, now left her feeling numb and hollow. For no particular reason, she looked up at Harry. Perhaps the moment's vulnerability had revived old feelings. In any case, while Dumbledore was counting, "One…two…" in the most minimal second before the headmaster said three, Ginny saw Harry's emerald irises flash red, and his mouth curl up in a half-animal snarl. Then there was "…three." There was the familiar yank in her midsection and then they were gone.

Seconds later Fred, George, Harry, Ron, and herself hit the floor of the kitchen at 12 Grimmauld Place. Ginny looked up to see Kreacher, Sirius's vindictive and bitter house-elf looking down at her.

"Back again, the blood traitor brats," he rasped. "Is it true their father's dying…?" Then she heard a deeper, clearer voice. "OUT!" it said and Kreacher scrambled away. Ginny and Kreacher had never gotten along well, which didn't bother Ginny very much because Kreacher never seemed to get along with anyone decent.

Then she saw Sirius. Until this moment, she hadn't given a thought to her earlier dream, but Sirius had an uncanny likeness to the previously unfamiliar boy. His hair was longer, he had stubble now, and his eyes were older and more tortured, but there was no doubt in Ginny's mind that the two were one and the same. She looked at him, trying not to obviously stare, and wondered how he could have ended up in her dreams.

"What's going on?" Sirius said helping Ginny up. She felt warmth in his touch, and her fingers tingled when he left them. "Phineas Nigellus said Arthur's been badly injured…" this brought Ginny out of her dream and her own thoughts, like waking up from her dream to McGonagall again. Her dad was in St. Mungo's, possibly dying, and all she was thinking about was some stupid dream.

"Ask Harry," Fred said with an accusatory undertone.

"Yeah, I want to hear this for myself," George seconded, mimicking his twin's way of speech.

Ginny turned to look at Harry also. She said nothing, but her facial expression stated what her brothers had already voiced. She crossed her arms and waited.

Harry explained what he had seen, how Voldemort's own snake had attacked Ginny's father and how Arthur had almost bled to death there, in the corridor. When he finished, Harry looked down at his feet; he seemed ashamed, or even guilty, for seeing what he had. Ginny wanted to tell him that without his vision, her father would be dead already. She looked at him for a long moment feeling sorry for him, and opened her mouth to say the words, but Fred said something first.

"Is Mum here?" he asked of Sirius. Sirius replied that she most likely was not aware yet that anything was amiss and explained how important it was to get them out of Hogwarts before Umbridge did something. Ginny felt terrible thinking of her parents separate from each other, one on death's door, the other not even knowing that the person she loved most in the world was in grievous danger. She couldn't stand it anymore. All thoughts of comforting Harry were pushed away in favor of a new plan.

"We've got to go to St. Mungo's," she said, soon noticing that nobody would be able to take the cold, winter journey in their pajamas. She hated to impose on Sirius any more, but this was an emergency. "Sirius, can you lend us cloaks or anything—?"

"Hang on, you can't go tearing off to St. Mungo's!" he replied. Ginny couldn't believe it; she saw no reason that she shouldn't be at her father's bedside right _now_. Her twin brothers felt the same and voiced their opinions.

"How are you going to explain how you knew Arthur was attacked before the hospital even let his wife know?" Sirius threw the logic in their faces like a cold bucket of water.

"What does it matter?" said George, physically pacing, trying to let off his frustration.

"It matters because we don't want to draw attention to the fact that Harry is having visions of things that are happening hundreds of miles away," Sirius said, becoming just as frustrated as George. "Have you any idea what the Ministry would make of that information?"

Ginny didn't give a dancing dirigible plum about what the Ministry would make of that information at the moment, but obviously Sirius did. She saw a solution that seemed obvious; she wondered why no one else had thought of it.

"Somebody else could have told us…We could have heard it somewhere other than Harry…." Sirius easily shot down her answer, to her disappointment. He said some things like her dad knew what he was getting into, maybe something about how the Order was more important than seeing their father, something like that. She had stopped listening once Sirius made it clear they weren't going to visit Arthur. She wasn't allowed to see her father. Maybe he was dying, how would she know? She wasn't there.

Ginny looked around the room, found the nearest chair, and all but collapsed into it. She barely registered when Fred and George sat on either side of her, thinking back to the times when her family could solve any problem. If someone were to tease her, she'd just call one of her brothers to beat him up. If it were one of her brothers doing the teasing, she'd just call her mum or dad to deal with them. In many instances, Ginny had not even needed her parents' or brothers' help, as she was able to deal with dilemmas from an early age. Now her father was probably dead or close to it and apparently the only thing everyone could do was stay put and wait. When had the problems gotten so large? Who was going to make this one disappear?

Ginny heard Sirius say _Accio Butterbeer_, no doubt in an attempt to cheer them up. Drinking something that her dad almost always had when he came home from work, brought up other memories of him that threatened tears. And tears were unacceptable. As a distraction, she allowed her thoughts to wander—or rather race—to the boy in her dream once again. Since it had been established that he and Sirius were the same person, the boy she had dreamed about would have to be a younger version of Sirius, perhaps even when Sirius was still at Hogwarts. But how had she known what Sirius looked like back then? She had never seen a photo, never even heard a description of him from when he was young.

Ginny thought about her time at 12 Grimmauld Place over the summer holidays. She couldn't remember really noticing Sirius, or even speaking to him much. She didn't have any feelings for him other than as Harry's godfather. No feelings at all, essentially. So why had she dreamed about him kissing her…and why had it been the absolute best kiss of her life? It was all quite confusing and she soon found her thoughts turning, inevitably, back towards her father. She started to remember things he did, his personal habits. Every scrape of hers that he mended, all his Muggle eccentricities, many of which she shared, were called into memory one by one. She suddenly wondered when the last time was that she had said 'I love you' to him. Dear Merlin, she couldn't remember! Her father was dying and he didn't know that his only daughter loved him.

In the back of her mind, Ginny knew that this was ridiculous, her father knew that she loved him, even if she hadn't told him recently. However, the gloomy atmosphere and high tension of 12 Grimmauld Place were getting to her. She was going to start crying soon and she did _not_ want to do that in front of other people, especially in front of Harry. Not that she cared what Harry thought of her. She eased her chair slightly behind Fred and George on either side of her, and slipped up the back stairs without even noticing Sirius's eyes following her.

Now that no one was around the tears gathered thickly at the corners of her eyes. Ginny struggled to keep them in until she found a room in which she could close the door. She ran down a corridor with which she was unfamiliar and opened the first door that she encountered. "_Alohamora_."

She took a few steps into the room, and then sank to the floor. Quiet sobs racked her body with a sort of gentle, but unrelenting force. She allowed memories of her father to enter her mind, good and bad, embarrassing and hilarious. She hung onto every moment she had had with him. Then she allowed herself to imagine life without him, knowing from experience that once she had released all of the grief and tears here, it would be easier to withhold them in front of others. First she imagined all of her family without her father—Ron, Fred and George, Percy, Bill, Charlie…her mother. Everyone would be devastated. The family would seem like many separate individuals rather than a single unit without their strong center. Then she imagined his funeral. After that, going back to Hogwarts, enduring the whispers and stares. Doing homework, playing Quidditch, taking her O., all while her father was not present. Each subsequent thought made her cry harder and harder, louder and louder, until she feared that she would be heard and quieted down.

After a while, it seemed she had run out of tears, she lay on the ground, just breathing and feeling. Her thoughts turned to the fact that her father was alive right now and that she, nor any of her siblings, maybe not even her mother, was near him. She again grew angry with Sirius for daring to keep them apart. She stood up, resolving to give him a piece of her mind, Molly Weasley style though she knew that it was likely to do little good, when she looked around the room for the first time and was surprised.

The room was bathed in a soft, gold light. Intricately carved mahogany book shelves lined the entire circular room, saving the one space that allowed for the door. The room was not very wide, but extremely tall—taller, it seemed, than 12 Grimmauld Place itself. On each and every bookcase there were, instead of books, dozens upon dozens of time turners. Each were a different size—some no bigger than Ginny's pinky fingernail, some a whole meter tall—but all were a calming, golden color. Each hourglass had a label pasted to the shelf underneath it. Each label had one date and place written on it. Ginny was fascinated. Each time turner had sands that floated in their glasses, independent of gravity. Ginny reached out and picked up the one nearest to her whose label said _12 Grimmauld Place: 31 August, 1981_, when she heard the door being opened. She chastised herself for not magically sealing the door, sure that it was one of her brothers, looking for her.

She turned and looked behind her. It was Sirius. Her anger at him temporarily forgotton due to curiosity, she asked, "What are these? They look like time turners but they're different in a bunch of little ways"

"Those are very like time turners," Sirius replied. "They were created specifically for auror use when Voldemort started coming into power for the first time."

"What were they for?" Ginny asked.

"Each time turner is programmed to take one back in time to a specific starting point so that said person can alter an event in order to ensure something in the future doesn't happen. Those are the dates specified on the labels."

"Why would someone need to go back to a specific point? I mean, why couldn't they just use a regular time turner for that?"

"Well, for one, the farther you go back in time with regular time turners, the more unstable the magic becomes. So no one is able to go back to more than about one year without encountering dangerous and unpredictable consequences. They were created for trustworthy students taking extra classes, not auror missions. These time turners use the magicians' own magic to function, not its own reserves. There are a few other reasons, but that's the main one."

"So, what are these super-special, auror time-turners doing at Grimmauld Place?" Ginny inquired, knowing better than to call it Sirius's house.

"Well, everyone had pretty much forgotten about these little devices," Sirius said, stepping closer to Ginny. "They were discontinued soon after they were created, because the Ministry's ethics committee decided—"

"Wait, sorry, but the Ministry has an ethics committee?" Ginny interrupted. Sirius chuckled, and Ginny frowned. Her question had been legitimate. Sirius stopped laughing, though he was still grinning from ear to ear. It annoyed Ginny even more how much she noticed his smile.

"Yes, well, it's quite small and is rarely used, but it has a surprising amount of power the few times the members do come together and decide something. Anyway, the ethics committee decided that wizards were bound to abuse anything with that type of power and all of the work should be eradicated immediately—memories erased, time turners smashed, everything. However, the time-turners were never destroyed. The magic had been performed too well for the Ministry's pride to allow them to go. The Minister of Magic spread the word that they had all been smashed, but in fact, they were kept hidden deep in the bowels of the Ministry's headquarters in London. The aurors consented to have their memories wiped of the research and magic that contributed to their inventions, believing them to be truly dangerous. Only three people know that these time-turners weren't actually destroyed."

"Four, now" Ginny interjected. Sirius smiled again.

"Right you are. One of them, naturally, is Dumbledore, and when Harry came back from his encounter with Voldemort last year, proclaiming that You-Know-Who was back he anticipated that Fudge, and therefore the entire Ministry, would be less than co-operative. There was also the high risk that Voldemort would take control of the Ministry, find out about these time-turners, and take steps to make sure some very important things would not happen. While he was still head Mugwump, he took the entire stock of these and hid them at Hogwarts for a couple of months, then hid them here at the start of the term."

"Hmmmmm…and I suppose now is when you tell me not to get any ideas to go and try one, that it's too dangerous?" Ginny facetiously stated.

"Nooooo…This is the part where I'm going to tell you to think hard about it, consider the consequences, then do what you think is right. In fact, don't even do that. Do what you feel." Sirius smiled again at Ginny's surprised expression.

Ginny looked at Sirius, searched his eyes for any sign that he was taking the mickey. She saw in his deep eyes that he was not; apparently he really did trust her judgment in whatever she did. Ginny would have found this odd since the two could not have exchanged more than a handful of words in the short time that they knew each other, if she had not been busy trying to figure out that other thing she saw in his eyes—some deep emotion that he was hiding, guarding. She looked at him for a while, for such a long time that it would have been awkward with anyone else; with Sirius, however, it seemed natural, comfortable.

"I can't go back," Ginny said after the pause. "I can't sit around waiting for news. I need to get away right now. I think…I think this would be best. I'll lose it again if I don't leave and…"

"Hey, it's okay. It's fine," Sirius said with a slight, crooked smile that sent a trembling straight to her mid-section. "See you when you get back Ginevra." He took another step forward, hesitated, then caressed her face once with his hand. His palm covered over half of her face. Ginny leaned into it comfortably; her face fit there naturally. She felt as if she could stay with her face in his hand forever, but the moment ended too soon. Sirius turned abruptly with his eyes unreadable, walked out of the circular room, and shut the door behind him.

Ginny watched him go. She didn't allow herself to contemplate the meaning of what Sirius had just done. She didn't give permission for her brain to analyze her extremely rapid heartbeat and breathing. She, as usual, did not let herself think about what she was going to do or its consequences. She took a deep breath, drew the chain of the oh-so-special time-turner about her neck, and flipped it around once. There was a flash of light, and then Ginny was gone.


	2. Chapter 2: Eleven Effing Sickles

_**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling wishes she were me…and if you believe that, you have wrackspurts resting in your brain.**_

_**First off, a shout-out:**_

_**Paulaa90 thank you so much for your amazing review! It totally made my day…week…month. :) I think Sirius would have made an awesome father. And, yes, I was trying to show that Voldemort was influencing Harry like it said in the book at that time.**_

_**Second off:**_

_**I hope to post this about once every one to two weeks. The chapters I'm posting now have been written for a while and just have to be edited, so that posting-time might go up in the future. However, as long as people are reading, I will post—promise.**_

_**That's enough of hearing me jabber, you can start reading now. :)**_

_**Chapter II: Eleven Effing Sickles**_

Ginny found herself in a bed, but not her own. She looked around, not quite confused, but not quite clear with what was happening either. She slowly sat up, testing each of her limbs to make sure that they were still functioning. She checked to make sure that the auror time-turner still hung about her neck. She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a bit of a scream when she realized someone else was in bed with her. At first glance, she thought it to be the young Sirius from her dreams, but a closer look revealed subtle differences: this boy's face was rounder, his lips fuller, his hair was cut short, his eyebrows bushier, and his eyelashes were not near the length Sirius's had been.

Taking extensive measures not to wake the sleeping boy, Ginny crept out of bed, only to have her measures taken in vain, for the boy soon woke to a dreadful screeching that was issuing from a couple floors below. Ginny quickly ducked into a closet on her right before the boy had really registered that he was awake. _With any luck,_ she thought, _he'll think I'm some phantom left over from his dream._ In the closet Ginny crossed her fingers, hoping that he would not come to make absolutely sure that no one was in his room but himself, and screwed her eyes shut in the ancient instinct of "if I can't see you, you can't see me."

She heard footsteps start to pad in her direction, when the screeching from below started up again, which was enough for the boy to forget about Ginny and head towards his door. Words could be distinguished from the screaming now.

_"…absolutely no regard for neither me nor your father nor Regalus! I dealt with you being accepted into Gryffindor, though it broke your poor father's heart! I ignored the Muggle hangings of Muggle girls on your wall after your childish Permanent Sticking Charm! But I will not ignore, this—this disaster. You might as well spit in my face Sirius! And in the faces of your ancestors! I and they, I'm sure, would appreciate it far more!"_

Ginny's eyes flew open. _Sirius is here? But…at what age?_ She quickly calculated in her head that Sirius would be just a day short of entering his seventh year at Hogwarts. Or more like twelve hours. _What in Merlin's name did he do?_

More voices were heard from below. The woman was no longer screaming, but was extremely loud, just the same, drowning out Sirius after his first few words.

"Not a big deal? NO BIG DEAL? I will show you just how big a deal this really is, Sirius! Get out—now! I never want to see you again! You are never to darken this doorstep from now on, because from this day forward, you are no longer my son! Kreacher, bring me my wand so that I might eradicate Sirius's besmirching face from our dear tapestry, and return it to its former glory, relieved of its unworthy occupants_."_

"Do what you want, mother, I don't care. I haven't cared for a long time now. Leave me ten minutes to pack my things and you'll never hear from me again."

The second voice was one that sent a tingling straight to Ginny's abdomen, even when it was spoken in icy anger. _Sirius_, she thought.

Heavy steps pounded their way up and up and up. Out of the crack the slightly open closet door had left, Ginny could see the boy she woke up with standing in his doorway.

"_Don't_ talk to me now Regalus," said Sirius, unable to be seen by Ginny because of the closet door. "I'm not in the mood for yet another lecture. Go torture some defenseless Muggles or something, why don't you?

"Look, Sirius, we all know that you aren't…like the rest of us,"

"Ignorant, self-satisfying gits you mean?"

"I _mean_, that you're different. You have different opinions…but if you just wouldn't _flaunt_ the fact that you don't care what she thinks—"

"Sorry if I don't much care about the thoughts of someone who mounts the heads of ancient house elves all about the staircase."

"She does what she thinks is right Sirius. Humor her. She loves you, in her own way."

"That's where you're wrong. Mum doesn't love anyone who doesn't do exactly everything she says." There was a pause. "I have to pack," Sirius eventually said. "You should—comfort her…or something. She's pretty upset. I always seem to have that effect on her." He said wryly.

Regalus did not reply.

Ginny slipped out of the closet and peered out of the bedroom's doorway. She saw Sirius's back moving down the corridor to her right, and Regalus's form descending down the staircase to her left. She quickly decided that the only person that she was able to trust in the immediate situation was Sirius, though he didn't know her. Whatever happened next, she was going to need an ally, so she followed him down the corridor and into the room that he entered. She padded after him in bare feet and magically locked the door with a whispered word.

"Don't panic please," she said as she turned to face the room and Sirius who was magicking things from about the room into his trunk. "I'm not going to harm you, I just really…" Ginny paused as the gigantic-ness of her situation struck her. "…really need someone—to help me out I mean," she added hastily.

_What have I done?_ She thought suddenly. _My being here could cause terrible things to happen…or other great things not to happen. I don't even know how to get back! Regular time turners require you to wait out the time until you meet up with the present…I can't wait fifteen years…Damn it! Mum always told me I never think about the consequences of what I do. Why the hell did Sirius let me go? Alright…okay…__I'll think about that later, not now. If I think about it now I won't be able to do anything._

"Well…I do enjoy aiding damsels in distress. Especially good looking ones," Sirius said with a mischievous tilt to his eyebrows, after the initial expression of shock and confusion had flitted across his face.

Ginny felt the characteristic Weasley blush start to radiate from her cheekbones. _He thinks I'm good looking? Wait…no, Weasley, focus._

"Yes…well…" _Can't tell him the truth, not about the future…_ Ginny blurted out where she felt she needed to be."I need to get to Hogwarts." _At least Dumbledore is there,_ she reasoned. _He'll either help me or send me home. _Sirius raised his eyebrows, and Ginny caught her breath. _Focus…get to your own time…then you can reflect on how unbelievably gorgeous he is…_

"And…" Sirius replied. "Not to question your judgment of course, but you thought that I would be the best person to help you out with your predicament?"

"I came through the Floo network," Ginny explained, thinking things up off of the top of her head and remembering that Regalus had a fireplace in his bedroom. "I've been homeschooled until now, see, but my parents thought that for OWLs I should study at a really good school and I was supposed to arrive in Professor Dumbledore's office, but I was so nervous that I messed up the name, and then I got out too early. It was my first time using the Floo…"

"Whoa, okay," Sirius said smiling. "How about we save the life story for another time? Make yourself comfortable, I just need a couple of minutes to get things in order and then I'll take you to Diagon Alley. It's where I'm headed and the Hogwarts Express leaves tomorrow anyway"

With nothing else to do, Ginny sank into a chair by a desk and studied Sirius. He was identical to the boy in her dream. The smile that she had seen was good-natured, so she knew the fun that had been poked was not meant maliciously. However, the smile had quickly faded when he was finished speaking. She attributed this to the rather loud conversation he had just had with his mother, and the quieter one with his brother. Both family members seemed rather hard to live with; Ginny could only imagine what his father was like. Ginny wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around Sirius and tell him that things were going to be all right…but she knew that they weren't going to be. Plus, her giving him a hug would probably be more uncomfortable than comforting for the both of them.

She wondered what he was thinking, what she would think if a random boy had followed her into her room the night before the start of the term, asking for a way to get to Hogwarts. Yesterday, she would have assumed he was a psychotic escapee from St. Mungo's. Today, she might think the same thing, but she would be more inclined to help him. What did she have to lose? Her dad was dying; her uncertain boyfriend, Michael Corner, preferred Quidditch to her; and Harry Potter, who she thought she had been successful at pushing out of her mind, was slowly, through no fault of his own, creeping back. She supposed that was something that she and young Sirius had in common. Their lives, up until now, had never been worse. Well, except for the time when she almost died being possessed by a teenage Dark Lord and terrorized muggle-borns for the better part of her first year at Hogwarts. That was pretty annoying.

Ginny leaned forward and rested her head in her hands, her wand pressed up against her forehead. She was so tired…but she was just resting…with her eyes closed…she wouldn't fall asleep…

"Hey," she woke up to Sirius's voice and his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, beautiful girl, sorry to wake you up, but unless you want a repeat performance of "Irate Mother Nearly Murders Her Devastatingly Handsome Son" we have to leave." The blatant arrogance and attempt at making her laugh raised a faint smile of amusement to Ginny's face. Sirius, already kneeling in front of her, said, "Much better, I was beginning to think you didn't know how to do that."

"What, smile?"

"Yes…" He continued to look at her with a strange expression.

"Well then…shall we get going?" Ginny said suddenly.

"Right, yeah, of course." Sirius smiled at her, straightened, and offered a hand to help her up.

"How are we getting to Diagon Alley?" Ginny inquired.

"Let me answer that question with one of my own. D'you know how to fly a broomstick?" Sirius said after Banishing his trunk.

"Yes," Ginny replied thinking of how long a flight to Diagon Alley would take and hoping that they would have to share a broomstick.

"Good, because I'm absolute rubbish." He smiled the smile at Ginny, the one whose slightest appearance caused her heart to stop. "We'll take the Knight Bus."

Ginny rolled her eyes as Sirius led her out of his bedroom.

"Do a disillusionment charm," he commanded her. "Just until we get out of the house." Ginny complied, remembering the spell that Tonks had shown her the previous summer. She felt as if she was standing in a heavy rain for a few moments. It was strange to see her hand slowly take on the color of the walls they were passing.

"Just follow me," he said, smiling again. Then turned to walk down the hallway and down the stairs. Ginny followed him closely, afraid of running into Regalus or another of Sirius's family members. As they passed the section of wall that housed the severed elf heads while descending the staircase, Ginny kept her eyes on the floor as usual. They reached the ground floor, and heard voices wafting up from the basement that Ginny knew housed the kitchen.

"…just don't know what happened, Regalus. You're such a good boy, not at all like Sirius. How I could ever have birthed him, I simply don't know. He is a travesty of the most noble house of Black…"

"Well he's gone now mother, or will be soon. You can finally get some rest."

"Go and see if he's still in the house will you? I don't want him here any longer than necessary…your poor mother has finally had enough"

Regalus sighed. "I know mother, I know."

Sirius's face was grim again as he quickened his pace.

Ginny was surprised by the warm night air that hit her face as Sirius 're-illusioned' her, then stuck out his wand (left) arm to signal the Knight Bus. With a _bang_ it appeared in front of them. Having never ridden the Knight bus before, Ginny was a bit astonished at its bright color. The purple of the bus almost seemed to assault her eyes. A young man with droopy eyes like a basset hound in a matching violently violet uniform climbed down a few of the steps of the bus.

"Hey Sirius! Where you goin' t'night?"

Sirius grinned. "Nowhere special Ernie, just Diagon Alley."

"Be professional!" a voice called from the front of the bus, presumably the driver.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, Jake." The youth straightened up and addressed the night air above Ginny and Sirius's heads.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board and…Merlin's pants…what was the last bit again, Jake?"

"And we can take you anywhere you want to go. Merlin's dusty robes, Ernie, you've been workin' here for a year an' a half!"

"Yeah, alright, I got it now," said Ernie, taking up his professional manner once again. "And we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Ernie Albertson, and I will be your conductor this evening. It's um…to ride it's umm…"

"Eleven effing Sickles Ernie! Thirteen for hot chocolate, fifteen for a toothbrush and eleven effing Sickles to ride!"

"Right…right…" Ernie said, apparently untroubled by his lack of memory.

Ginny had a temporary moment of panic, realizing that she had no money with her, until she saw Sirius pull out twenty-two Sickles from his jeans pocket.

"No, Sirius, you don't have to—" Ginny started, grateful for the fact that there was a new moon tonight so Sirius couldn't see her face start to flush.

"It's my pleasure—really," he interrupted. "A gentleman always pays for the lady." Though she hated letting other people pay for her, Ginny saw no other way. _I'll pay him back someday,_ she thought. _Even if that day is fifteen years from now._

They both climbed onto the well-lit bus. There was no darkness to hide the pinkness crawling across Ginny's cheekbones now, just as there were no chairs or seats of any kind on the triple-decker bus, only double beds. The pink grew deeper as images came unbidden into her head of her and Sirius and a bed…then she saw him smirk out of the corner of her eye. This banished the unwonted thoughts from her mind and replaced them with irritation. All embarrassment forgotten, or at least ignored, Ginny gestured to Sirius.

"Shall we go up a level then?"

The second level was full of beds as well, but the open-air third level, thankfully, had benches. Ginny sat in the front row on the right, and slid all the way over to the end. Sirius slid in after her. She was hyper-aware of his arm just brushing hers through her jacket. She turned her head to the side of the bus in hopes of cooling off her face, but quickly pulled it back within the perimeter of the bus when it started with a rather loud _bang_, for she was afraid of hitting one of the many things that they narrowly avoided. She let her thoughts wander aimlessly, only reigning them in when they strayed too near to Sirius. _The absolute worst thing you could do is fall in love…in "like"…whatever, _she thought to herself._ How many things would that change in the future? You won't be staying here forever, and future Sirius is way to old for you, not to mention the fact that it would be illegal for us to be together for two more years. Besides love is over-rated and unnecessary, look where it got you with Harry._

"How did you know my name?"

"Hmmmmm…?" Ginny said, pulled from her thoughts. Sirius repeated himself.

"How did you know my name? It's just that I don't remember telling you."

"Oh! I…heard it when your mother was shouting at you."

"Right," Sirius said, his face clouding over. Ginny felt bad for causing him to think about his mother, someone who obviously caused him pain.

"I never told you mine," she said in an effort to redirect his thoughts. Sirius raised his eyebrows questioningly. "It's Ginevra. Most people just call me Ginny or Gin."

"Ginevra," Sirius said. Ginny had never been a huge fan of the name that had been forced upon her, but on Sirius's lips, she was glad it was hers.

"Family name?"

"What? Oh, no, my mum always said she got it from a really close friend that she had in her seventh year." Sirius had yet again interrupted Ginny's thoughts, only this time those thoughts had been focused on his lips.

The Knight Bus took a left turn sharply and threw Ginny into Sirius's lap. Her face burning again (_Why, oh why was I born with transparent skin?_), she apologized.

"Merlin, I'm sorry,"

"It's fine," Sirius laughed as Ginny tried to regain her seat with a struggle due to the rather twisty path the Knight Bus had begun to take. "Take your time, there's no rush."

Ginny looked up, about to jokingly tell Sirius off for laughing at her, when she got a glimpse of his eyes again, and that pushed most of the thoughts from her head. _Get a hold of yourself_, _Weasley_ she thought.

"Just be grateful," she said grinning. "Because this is _all_ the lap time you're going to get tonight."

"Aw, too bad," Sirius grinned. "Some other time, then." Ginny rolled her eyes, still smiling.

"So why are you wearing…_er…_ that particular ensemble to Hogwarts, again?" Sirius's smile revealed teasing.

"For your information, this is considered quite fashionable for Muggle girls to wear casually. My family and I live in a very Muggle neighborhood." Ginny was proud of herself for how quickly she was thinking up valid excuses. Growing up in a pureblood family that despised Muggles, Sirius wasn't likely to know much about their customs.

"Right," was all that Sirius said, still grinning and leaning back on arms that he had stretched back and crossed behind his head. "Right."

Ginny thought for a moment that Sirius hadn't believed her about her clothing, but soon dismissed the thought. After they had talked for a while, Ginny found that Sirius was quite charming and in a lull in the conversation had an almost overwhelming urge to lean her head on his chest…and hold him tight…and kiss him…_Merlin's pants, you haven't been this insane about a guy since Harry,_ she pondered. _You spent most of the summer at Sirius's house, why are you so caught up with him now?_ Ginny could not even explain away her feelings with the age difference between the Sirius sitting next to her and the adult one, still at 12 Grimmauld Place. She remembered what she had felt in that small circular room. It was as if someone, somewhere, had flipped a switch that allowed feelings hibernating within her to surface. She sighed softly, leaned her head on her right arm that was on the railing of the bus, and dozed off.

She woke to find herself pressed up against Sirius with her head resting comfortably on his shoulder. She blamed the Knight Bus, refusing to believe that even in sleep, her body longed to be next to his. _Perhaps he's asleep, maybe he doesn't even know…_

Ginny straightened up to find that Sirius was not, in fact, asleep like she thought he was, but awake and looking at her with a concerned look on his face. While the look rapidly morphed into a grin, she blushed yet again.

"Good sleep, Ginevra?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you," she replied, too embarrassed to think of a witty remark to pass over the whole event. Sirius laughed softly.

"Good, good," he said.

"And you?" she asked.

"I didn't sleep. To busy listening to you." Sirius laughed. "You talk in your sleep you know."

She tried to appear like this was no big deal, though she was horrified at what she might have revealed. 'Sleep talking' had been a source of teasing since she could remember. Often she would say things that were bothering her emotionally. More than once Ron had heard her thoughts about Harry, much to her dismay. "What did I say?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Nothing much. Just…some stuff." Sirius continued to laugh.

"Why are you _laughing? _What did I _say_?" Ginny said rapidly losing her calm façade.

"Relax, Ginny."

"Only when you tell me what I said."

"No, I don't think I will. You're funny when you're angry, and pretty cute too." Ginny was dangerously close to performing her infamous bat bogey hex on the unsuspecting and chauvanist Sirius; he was narrowly saved by Ernie.

"Hey, Sirius," Ernie's voice called from the first 'deck' of the bus. "Diagon Alley's next!

"Thanks Ern!" he said as he stood up and stretched. He offered his hand to help Ginny up. Since she was still angry with him, she ignored it and got up herself, only causing Sirius to chuckle. She then followed his descent down the bus staircase.

"Here we are, Diagon Alley. See you later Sirius."

"Bye, Ernie."

"Wait, you're getting off here too?" Ginny asked, surprised.

"Sure, why not?" Sirius said. "I don't have anywhere else to go until tomorrow morning."

"Are you going to rent a room?"

"Nah."

"But, where will you sleep?"

"Ginevra, whoever said anything about sleeping?" Sirius said laughing softly. He was such a happy person when he was younger. _Is._ Ginny reminded herself. Is_ a happy person _now_. You're in a different time now. _"Come on, I'll show you where you can rent a room."

"Um, okay." Though she was still worried about what she had revealed while talking in her sleep, Ginny's anger was fading away, a characteristic inherited from her Prewett mother. Weasley's tended to hold grudges—icy anger for weeks, months, or years at a time—but Prewetts were like flash-fires—fiery tempers for a very short time. Besides, Ginny was slightly worried about Sirius; she didn't know what he would do after the huge row he had just had with his mother. She wanted to keep him next to her and make sure that he didn't do anything rash or stupid. If young Sirius was anything like the elder Sirius, he was bound to do just that. This, and her lack of money, made her reluctant to reach their destination.

"Hey," Sirius said when he noticed that she wasn't smiling anymore. "What's wrong? Beautiful girls shouldn't be sad."

"What about plain girls?" Ginny said, hoping to divert him from the subject, still surprised that he thought her beautiful and had enough confidence to tell her. "They aren't entitled to perpetual happiness?"

Sirius shrugged with a smile and Ginny marveled at its power to make her weak-kneed and furious at the same time.

"That makes you sound like a git, you know that?" she said, annoyed at his tasteless gesture.

"Yeah I know," Sirius replied. "But I've never really been one for false advertising. I'm a git, so I might as well embrace it right?" Ginny crossed her arms and tried to stifle a smile. She wanted to smack him and laugh at the same time.

"Don't think that you can hide it," Sirius said. "You want to smile. So what's wrong?" Ginny frowned.

"And it's gone again," Sirius said under his breath. Ginny did not hear him.

"It's…stupid," she said, not wanting to tell him. She, a random stranger, should not be worrying over where Sirius was going and what he was going to do after he left her sight. She had no claim on him or what he did. She had to keep in mind that, as far as young Sirius was concerned, they had only met a few short hours ago. More importantly, she had to keep reminding herself that she hadn't known either Sirius for more than a year. It surprised her that she could feel so strongly about someone she known for so little time and knew so little about.

"You can tell me," he said. "Even if it's stupid." Ginny smiled.

"Erm, later. Promise."

"Alright, fine. But I will hold you to that promise, Ginevra. Just be glad I'm not making you take an Unbreakable Vow."

"Why would I be enough of an idiot to take an Unbreakable Vow?" Ginny retorted good-naturedly.

"You wouldn't have a choice," Sirius joked. "My charm would leave you so dazed that you wouldn't be able to think clearly."

"Ah, yes I forgot—your charm. Whatever will save me from succumbing to it?" she replied facetiously.

"Nothing Ginevra, absolutely nothing. You're just doomed to be dazzled by me."

"Hmmm…"

"What?" Sirius asked.

"Just that, we'll have to see about that." In fact, Ginny had been thinking of how 'dazzled' she already was. But it wouldn't do to tell Sirius this, however much he might like it. His arrogance was only dwarfed by his ego.

They arrived at the Leaky Cauldron.

"This is it," Sirius said. "I guess I'll see you at Hogwarts."

"Wait!" Ginny said with a bit of alarm. She calmed her self down. "Wait a minute. Will I see you again?"

"Can't live without me already, huh?" Sirius replied with laughter. "The Hogwarts Express leaves tomorrow. I'll be sure to look for you."

"Please, I would be perfectly fine without you," Ginny said with a mock scowl. Then she smiled. "But thank you," She kissed him on the cheek, willing herself not to turn red. "It was great meeting you. Even under the rather…interesting circumstances."

"You're welcome…very, very welcome." Sirius looked at her and, for just a moment, she thought he might try to kiss her again. But the moment passed, and Sirius left.

_**Reviews are always appreciated whether you're complimenting or criticizing (constructively!)**_


	3. Chapter 3: Meeting Molly

_**Disclaimer: I asked Santa to bring me exclusive Harry Potter rights. I think my request is pending.**_

_**Chapter III: Meeting Molly**_

Ginny turned from the doorway to survey the little bar. She stepped up to the bar and chose a stool to sit on.

"Can I get you anything?" a wizened old barman said to her. Ginny recognized Tom, who didn't look a spec different from his fifteen-years-older self. Except, perhaps, for the presence of more teeth.

"Oh, um, no thank you. Not right now." Ginny looked around the bar. To her surprise she saw many Wanted posters of deatheaters hanging behind the bar like they did in her time. In these posters, however, she saw new faces; any familiar ones looked much younger, though still haggard.

A curvy woman sat next to Ginny, magicking her trunk onto the floor beside her stool. Ginny glanced at the woman, intrigued by the bright hair that she didn't often see outside of her own family. The woman was actually very young, no more than eighteen it looked like. About as tall as Ginny, the woman was facing away from her. Even so, Ginny saw something extremely familiar about the woman that she was sure she could put her finger on if the woman would just turn, even slightly. After talking to Tom the Barman for a bit, the woman ordered a firewhisky.

"Coming right up, Molly," Tom replied.  
><em>…Molly?<em>

Then the woman turned to face the bar so that the side of her face was showing. That's when Ginny gasped in astonishment. Even without the wrinkles, hair done up in a messy bun, and screaming, she recognized her mother, Molly Weasley.

Tom came back with her mother's drink.

"I need to rent a room Tom," she said. Ginny had to cover her mouth with her hand to keep from emitting more noises of astonishment. She turned to face the bar and studied the Wanted posters while listening to her mother's—Molly's!—conversation.

"Really, why?" Tom replied with friendly curiosity.

"Oh, nothing much. Parents kicked me out."

"Why'd they do that?"

"I don't really want to talk about it Tom."

"Fine then," Tom said, still obviously curious. He was silent for a moment, only the squeak of the rag inside the glass he was cleaning could be heard, then spoke again. "Talking always helps ease _my_ problems."

"You're not going to let up until I tell you, are you Tom?"

"Nope," he said cheerfully. "Gossip is one of the only things this old wizard has left."

"Wow, Tom, harassment and guilt. You really know how to get what you want." Molly looked around the bar as if to check if the coast was clear. "Alright, I'll tell you Tom, but only because I'll end up telling you once I've got enough firewhiskey in me anyway. And I don't want this spread all around Diagon Alley, alright? For your ears only."

"Now Molly, when have you known me, faithful Tom, not to keep one of his friends secrets?" Molly just rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." She took a big breath and a large gulp of the firewhiskey that Tom had set in front of her. " The truth is…" Molly grimaced. "Merlin I can't believe this is happening to _me_ of all people." Another deep breath. " The truth is…I'm pregnant."

"What was that? Sorry dear, my ears aren't what they used to be." Molly frowned and once again looked around the bar. She leaned in closer to Tom and said it again.

"Well," he said. "That _is_ a predicament."

"Tell me about it," she muttered as she picked up her drink.

"Er…Molly?" Tom said. "You probably shouldn't be drinking, what with you being up the duff and all." Molly set the glass back down.

"Damn," she said. "I forgot. Even though we were talking about it, I forgot. The implications I mean." She put her head in her hands in a gesture of defeat. "Oh no…I already drank some of it too…I'm going to be the. Absolute. _Worst._ Mother." Tom leaned awkwardly across the bar in order to pat her on the back.

"There, there," he said. "It'll be fine. It was only a little sip. So who's the father of the little tyke anyway?"

"Arthur Weasley,' was the reply that came muffled from between fingers.

"Hmmm," Tom said, going back to cleaning out glasses. Molly peeked at him from between her fingers. "What?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing. Weasley just doesn't seem like your usual type is all."

"Oh, because you think my type are only the various, stuck-up, insensitive, playboy sons of my parents friends?" Molly said, annoyed.

"Well, that _is_ the type you've been dating."

"Well, yes, but," Molly dropped her hands from her face, "I got tired of that. I wanted to date a decent person for once. Not someone who's just dating me for money or status or _expectations_." She made a face. "And Arthur's so sweet. Plus he really gets me you know? On account of us having been friends for so long."

"Well it's about time you two got together, he's been mooning after you for at least five years now. I thought the poor boy was about to explode from unrequited love."

"Tom—" Molly blushed.

"—All I'm saying is that you sure waited long enough. I had to watch to him come in here before the start of every term, just waiting for you to notice him. In _that_ way I mean. I don't like to meddle—" Molly snorted, Tom continued on without pausing. "—But I almost did with you two. It was almost painful to watch. You introducing him to each of your boyfriends, who were all gits by the way, while he had to act like everything was dandy."

"_Tom_," Molly said with a slightly guilty expression on her face.

"What? Okay, okay," Tom chuckled and switched topics. "So, uh, how long have you known about the, er, baby?"

"Only few weeks. I don't even know if it's a boy or a girl yet."

"Does Arthur know? That there even is a baby I mean."

"Not…exactly…"

"Molly, he deserves to know. He's the_ father_ for Merlin's sake."

"I know, I know," Molly sighed. "I'll tell him when we get to Hogwarts. I just hope he'll take it…relatively well."

"Knowing Arthur, he'll be fine. He's smart, good at adapting. It's you I'm worried about."

"I'll be okay, I'm pretty resilient…well, I had better head up to my room if I want to wake up early enough to make the Hogwarts Express tomorrow morning." Molly reached into a pocket of her robes for some money.

"That won't be necessary Molly," Tom said as he reached behind him for a key to a room. "This stay is on the house."

"What?" Molly's eyes narrowed in that characteristic way that Ginny had seen so many times before. "Oh, no Tom. I won't have you feeling sorry for me. I'll pay just like I always have."

"This isn't pity Molly, I'm giving you a break. Merlin knows you need one. Just take the room all right? It's just for one night, half a night really, at this hour. Let me do this. It'll make me feel better." Molly paused then set the money on the counter and grabbed the key.

"Fine, but only because I am too extremely tired to argue. I'm leaving the money here, I hope you'll take it." She hopped off the barstool and magicked her trunk upstairs.

Ginny stared after her. Mum's first kid had been Bill so…was she pregnant with Bill right now? And her and dad weren't even married yet? Maybe that's why they had gotten married so quickly after Hogwarts! This was too weird to comprehend…

"Don't think that I've not noticed you, miss," Tom said to her out of the blue. "Funny thing about me, very diverse parents. One was a Muggle and the other was a seer. Yup, my dad was an accountant, and my mother worked telling fortunes to Muggles." Ginny smiled politely as she had been taught as she wondered why this man was enlightening her about his family history when she could be contemplating all that her mother…uh…Molly had just revealed.

"Now you're probably wondering why I'm enlightening you about my family history," Tom smiled. "I told you that to tell you this. I've lived around Muggles before and know that what you're wearing isn't common attire for walking about. Either you're a witch who is trying to blend in with Muggles and failing, which I doubt because then you wouldn't be in Diagon Alley, or some sort of circumstance has made it necessary for you to leave home in the middle of the night in which case you probably don't have a place to stay." Tom looked down at the glass he was cleaning.

"I know that you heard everything that me and Molly just said, she was probably too distressed to notice. I would have stopped you listening, but, 'cause of that seer blood I told you about, I know that it's okay. I think you and Molly are supposed to know each other, and be good friends. It's just a hunch really, but my hunches usually work out. So, I want you to take this money that she left on the bar, 'cause it's obvious you need some poppet, and here's a room to stay for the night." Tom handed her another key that was right next to where the one he had handed Molly had been. "I want you to look after Molly, you hear me? She's going through a tough time right now and it's not going to be getting easier any time soon." Ginny sat, shocked.

"Ummm…thanks Tom. You're very…perceptive. And a bit unnerving."

"I've been called worse," Tom chuckled.

"So, yeah, thanks for the room. But…I'll be fine without the money." She really hated taking charity, and the frequency with which she seemed to be doing it bothered her more than a bit. Her mother, in fact, had always stressed the importance of earning what you get. Well…she supposed she would find a way to pay Tom back too.

Ginny stood up, took the key, and headed upstairs to the room next to her mum's…Molly's.

Due to the thin walls of the Leaky Cauldron, Ginny woke to the melodic sound of Molly retching in the room next to hers.

_Lovely…_ Ginny thought as she pulled two pillows toward her to block out the sound. She looked up at the clock on the bedside table. It said 8 o'clock…8 o'clock! The train was going to leave at 8:20! Ginny scrambled out of bed and rushed into the hall, checking to see that her wand was still in the pocket of her jacket and that the time turner was still under her shirt. On a whim, she quickly transfigured the timeturner into an eclectic hour-glass shaped necklace. After doing so, she realized that she was still in her Muggle pajamas.

Ginny saw her mum—Molly walking out of the room next to hers, magicking her trunk in front of her and wiping her mouth with a handkerchief.

"Mum—I mean, Molly, I want you to brace yourself because this is going to be the weirdest thing you've ever heard."

**_AN: I would definitely love feedback on this chapter. I just feel like its different from the others..._**_**As always, thank you much for reading!**_

_**Reviews are always appreciated, whether complimenting or criticizing (constructively!)**_


	4. Chapter 4: Xenophilius Lovegood

**_Disclaimer: I own exactly one box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, not the Potter-verse._**

**_Chapter IV: Xenophilius Lovegood_**

Ginny very quickly explained to Molly her situation—her _true_ situation, not the waffle she had given Sirius—throwing caution to the winds. She also informed Molly of what Tom had said. Ginny held her breath while Molly, understandably, looked at her with suspicion for a few seconds.

"So you are supposedly my 'future, time-traveling my daughter', huh?"

"Yes," Ginny replied. "And though I hate to cut this lovely reunion short, would it be so very terrible if we discussed this and all of it's implications later? There's not much time to catch the train to Hogwarts. Oh, and could I also borrow a pair of your robes?"

Molly simply looked at Ginny for a moment and fingered her wand.

"Verum Reveleo!" she said suddenly. Nothing happened. "Well, that proves you're telling the truth," she said. "Or at least what you think is true." She threw up her hands in a familiar gesture and bent down to her trunk to remove some robes for Ginny to wear.

Molly rummaged around and pulled out the robes. She handed them to Ginny. "I still don't quite believe you, though. You have five minutes to get dressed and meet me by the fireplace downstairs. I expect to have a long talk with you on the train to Hogwarts." Ginny grabbed the robes and inwardly grinned at the orders thrown at her, so like her mum. She rushed into her room to get dressed, and, making sure that the time turner was tucked under her slightly to large robes, rushed downstairs to meet her mu—Molly.

"Come on," Molly said. "We don't have much time, so we'll Floo out together." Molly grabbed Ginny's arm and led her into the emerald flames. Ginny turned around and just before they both said "Platform nine and three-quarters", she thought she saw Tom waving and saying _Good luck!_

They stepped out of one of the many fireplaces lining the platform.

"Bollocks," Molly said, pinching the bridge of her nose in between two of her fingers. "Seeing Remus just reminded me…okay go try to find an empty compartment, though how you can with how late we are I have no idea. I have to go to the prefects compartment and then patrol the corridors for a bit." Molly walked off, magicking her trunk in front of her, then turned back around. "And for Merlin's sake, _please_ don't get into any trouble."

"What? Who said anything about trouble? I don't get into trouble," Ginny said with a signature 'innocent' look. Molly snorted and the two filed onto the train as the whistle blew. Ginny walked slowly down the corridor, Molly turning into the opposite direction towards the prefects compartment, and she saw so many faces that she vaguely recognized, guessing them to be the parents of students that she knew at the present Hogwarts…or would that be the future Hogwarts?

Finally, Ginny came upon a compartment that was mostly empty except for a girl with extremely long honey-blonde hair and very large—almost to the point of being unsettling—luminous gray eyes. A very colorful magazine was set on the seat next to her. Writing furiously in her notebook, the girl did not even seem to take notice when Ginny sat down across from her. Ginny curled her legs up onto the seat and looked out of the window as the train started to depart. It was starting to rain outside, which made a very interesting view of the English countryside even more intriguing. As she looked out of the window, the edges of her vision blurred and turned black. At the same time she felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity about what she was seeing. The darkness at the edges of her vision swirled closer and closer to the centre. She wondered—vaguely, because of the fatigue and vertigo that were suddenly overcoming her—if some dark wizard or witch had snuck onto the train and was putting a spell on her. _Impossible_, she thought right before she blacked out.

When Ginny finally woke, she was on the floor and the other girl in the compartment was staring at her intently and from an uncomfortably close distance. The girl brightened as soon as Ginny awoke.

"You've been unconscious for…" the girl consulted her notebook, "…roughly four hours."

"Um…" Ginny said, disconcerted. "Yeah. People often nap for…four hours." Ginny was slightly alarmed—_four entire hours?_

"No, no," the girl replied. "You were unconscious as in _passed out_. I know because you slid off of the bench and you did not wake up."

"And you didn't think it necessary to tell anyone?" Ginny said, slightly angry. She was annoyed partially by the strange girl, and partially by her own pounding head, which she assumed she had acquired when she slid off of the bench.

"Well…you were breathing," the girl offered as an excuse. Ginny resisted the impulse to roll her eyes.

"Yes, well, I tend to do that now and again." She climbed onto the bench again, the slightest bit stiff from sleeping on the train's floor. She jumped at the cackle of laughter that erupted from the girl. That terrifying laugh…it sounded a lot like her friend Luna Lovegood's.

"That was _funny_!"

"Oh, um, thank you."

"Because, you know, you breath _all the time_. Everyone does!"

"Yes…"

Wiping her eyes of tears, the girl stuck out her hand, still chuckling.

"Lucine Eastchurch—fifth year Ravenclaw." Ginny shook the offered hand.

"Um, nice to meet you. I'm Ginny. Fifth year…Gryffindor," Ginny replied, remembering the lie about O.W.L.s that she had told Sirius."

"Just Ginny?"

"Just Ginny," she replied firmly. Ginny did not know whether she would be in this time long enough to have to make up a last name (as she certainly couldn't be Weasley) and didn't feel like creating one off of the top of her head.

"Alright then." Lucine accepted this cheerfully and went back to her seat and to scribbling in her notebook. Ginny tried to calmly contemplate what had just happened and figured that it was looking out of the window that had caused her to faint. Ginny threw a tentative glance at it and, when nothing further happened she chanced a longer one. Her head felt rather light, but that might have been because she hadn't eaten anything since the day before yesterday—which happened to be many, many days after today.

She held her, now only slightly throbbing, head in her hands. _The only thing I remember_, she thought,_ is having the most monstrous case of déjà vu ever._ Then she realized that she _had_ been in the compartment before. That terrifying ride when the dementors had gotten onto the train…Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Professor Lupin had all been in here when she rushed in to find her brother. Maybe she had recognised the compartment…but that didn't explain her passing out. Setting aside the situation to mull over later, Ginny looked at Lucine. _Actually…she does look a good bit like Luna…_

"Ginny!" She looked up to find the door open and Sirius hanging into the compartment, his long hair falling into his eyes a bit. She stood up, smiling.

"Sirius, hey!" She followed him out into the corridor as he beckoned, closing the door behind her. "What's up?"

"I was thinking—we should to go to Hogsmeade together in October."

_He certainly is sure of himself_, Ginny thought. _Like a puffed up hippogriff…too bad I want to say yes so badly._

"Bit soon to ask, hmm Sirius?" she said with a slight smile. Sirius shrugged and grinned.

"That's just how I am. Confident—some would say that's sexy."

"Others would say it's annoying," she said smiling.

"Those others would be mistaken."

"Oh, would they?"

"Yes, definitely." Sirius continued to grin, not even having the dignity to look sheepish. Ginny rolled her eyes. "So you want to go or not?" he asked again

"Sorry, but I can't."

"Why not?" Ginny couldn't very well tell Sirius that by the time October rolled around for him, she hoped to be well into her own time. "I might be really busy…you know studying for O.W.L.s and all." Sirius cocked a disbelieving eyebrow, but said, "You can study in Hogsmeade." Ginny laughed and, unable to come up with a sufficient excuse at the moment, said,

"Okay, fine, I'll think about it."

"Cool, I'll see you then." Ginny just smiled and nodded as he smiled that special smile that often made her knees go weak. Sirius turned and walked down the corridor to his own compartment and Ginny realized something.

"Hey!" she called after him. "I said that I'd _think_ about it! I never said I'd _go_!" Without even turning around Sirius waved the back of his hand at her. In a huff Ginny returned to her compartment, vowing to herself to never succumb to his charm again. He really was an arrogant prat.

"Is that your beau?" Lucine asked as Ginny sat down.

"What?" It took Ginny a moment to recognize the dated word for boyfriend. "Oh no, just a friend."

"Oh, that's nice." Lucine smiled with no hint of sarcasm in her voice and started to peruse the magazine on the seat next to her.

"Which magazine is that?" Ginny asked.

"This? Oh, it's _The_ _Quibbler._" Ginny was curious to see how the Quibbler had been in years past. Had it ever made sense?

"May I see it?" she asked.

"Sure," Lucine replied. Ginny looked at the cover of the magazine. The dominating headline on the front of the page was: Xenophilius Lovegood Takes Over Management of _The Quibbler_ From Ailing Father. It was among others such as Moonfrogs—A Laughable Rumour No More; Gurgling Plimpy Soup Made Easy; and Crumple-Horned Snorcacks—Merely Lovable Animals or The Missing Link? Ginny glanced up with a raised eyebrow at Lucine who was staring off into space, then flipped to the _Xenophilius Lovegood_ article.

Xenophilius Lovegood, 30-year-old son of Doranamor Lovegood, has taken over from his father as editor-in-chief. Lovegood Sr.'s advancing frailty and senility has rendered him unable to have an active hand in _The Quibbler_ any longer.

"It is an honor," says the new editor-in-chief, "to be the head of such a wonderful publication. Under my father, _The Quibbler_ always strove to bring truth into the homes of the common wizard or witch. I will make sure that this continues to happen under my watch as well. And to those naysayers who state that my father is a raving lunatic, I am a blithering idiot, and _The Quibbler_ is not worth the walk to the post-stand to purchase it, I say: _shows just how much you know_."

"I," comments Doranamor Lovegood, "must now always be reffered to as Achmed, Royal Leader of the Desert of Flowing Sands. Only phookas and family are allowed to visit my castle. Now get out!".

There you have it. A legacy passed on from father to son, from Achmed, Royal Leader of the Desert of the Flowing Sands to his heir. Only time will tell if the son will be able to maintain _The Quibbler_ at the glory the father managed to grasp.

_(_Etiam maxime ridicula sunt, nec adeo ridicula vos inviso totus potest._)_

Ginny stared blankly at the magazine article for a bit, then asked a question of Lucine.

"What's this phrase at the end of the magazine?"

"It's _The Quibbler's_ motto; they put it at the end of every article," Luna replied. "I see you were reading about Xenophilius Lovegood taking over his father's position. I mean, the magazine was great before, with all of its new revolutionizing theories, but _now_? With _him_? It will be amazing. Xenophilius has the most unique and undiscovered ideas. He's an untapped reservoir, a buried gold mine! Plus," Luna continued, exhibiting her teenage-girl tendencies. "He is _so_ good-looking. Don't you think so?" Ginny glanced at the short, messy-haired picture of Xenophilius steadily blinking back at her from the cover of the magazine.

"Well…he certainly is…erm…striking."

"Yes, I know what you mean. He doesn't have much of the classical good looks, of course, but a unique beauty all his own, just like his mind. Nothing already done, always original." To ensure she did not laugh, Ginny simply nodded this time and kept her mouth closed.

At that moment Molly opened the compartment door.

"Thank Merlin you were in this one, I wasn't going to check anymore after this. Come on, Ginny." Ginny got up and followed Molly out.

"Bye Lucine."

"Goodbye, Ginny." Lucine was too engrossed in _The Quibbler_ to give a longer response.

Ginny followed Molly down the corridor, feeling rather light-headed again as she did so. They stopped in front of an empty compartment and entered.

"Arthur's out looking for the food-cart woman." Molly's eyes fell with concern upon Ginny's pale face. "And a good thing too…you look completely famished. Are you eating enough?"

Ginny felt like laughing and crying at this familiar trait in her mother—the need to feed _everyone_.

"No, Mum. I'm fine, really." She didn't want to have to explain her lack of funds.

"Well…alright then." Molly crossed her arms. "Now I want you to tell your story again—from the beginning. And don't call me 'mum'. Makes me feel old." Ginny refrained from pointing out that Molly should probably get used to being called mum, since she was going to be one in less than nine months.

It took Ginny a while to tell Molly exactly what had happened, and then she had to do it again when Arthur finally came back.

"Whatever you can tell me, you can tell Arthur," Molly had said. In fact, Ginny was grateful for this fact. Her mum was more prone to 'freaking out' while her calmer dad was the one all the kids went to if they were in major trouble.

This past Arthur seemed much like the future one, except he had all of his hair and was more awkwardly thin, like many teenage boys. He listened to Ginny the whole way through, with no interruptions, unlike his girlfriend, Molly. Ginny did, however, refrain from telling them exactly why she had felt the need to leave (Arthur knowing he was bound to be injured badly or could possibly die could not turn out well) and the part Sirius had played in all of this, making it seem like she had learned all she knew about the time-turners from a book. Sirius was still too confusing to her to reveal to someone else—especially if those some ones else were her parents. She also did not tell Arthur, yet, that she was his daughter, something Molly did not object to. Ginny thought that this might just be too overwhelming for her dad.

"Well," Arthur said when she was done. "The first thing to make sure of is that you're safe in this time. You'll need a last name…a whole identity. Do you have any idea how to get back to your own time?"

"Not exactly, but I was planning on telling Dumbledore when we get to Hogwarts. He's one of the best wizards of our time, so I was hoping he could send me back to mine." Arthur nodded approvingly.

"Your best chance will probably be right after the feast. With all the other students going to bed, no one will notice if one slips into Dumbledore's office." Ginny hoped that she could return to her own time soon. Something about this one made her slightly dizzy and unfocused. She could feel the Hogwarts Express slowing down, and guessed that they were nearing Hogwarts. She leaned on the window again as Molly and Arthur ("_Not_ mum and dad," she told firmly herself, "Not at this point in time.") conversed in quiet voices, only stirring when Molly forced a pumpkin pastie upon her. Eating that made her feel a bit better; but, judging by the concerned looks that Molly kept throwing her way, she was still pretty pale, even for a redhead.

The train stopped and everyone filed off to get on the invisibly drawn carriages. She could hear Hagrid's familiar voice crying "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" This made her slight dizziness return for some reason.

She soon lost Arthur and Molly in the pressing crowd and, feeling more and more overwhelmed, stumbled, almost falling. Sirius conveniently appeared, reaching out an arm to steady her and placing his hand on the small of her back.

"Been hitting the firewhiskey lately, Gin?" he said.

"Please," Ginny rolled her eyes, firmly ignoring the butterflies in her stomach.

"I was kidding Ginny, but you really do kind of look terrible." There was a concerned look on Sirius's face.

"Well, thank you Sirius. You really do know how to make a girl blush," Ginny replied, for once not blushing and irritable due to her increasing dizziness and the oppressive atmosphere.

"You know what I mean," Sirius muttered looking off and to the right, sticking his hands in his pockets. Ginny, who had had enough brothers to know what it looked like when awkward teenage boys tried to show their affection, laughed a bit.

"You sound just like my brother."

"Your brother?"

Ginny inwardly kicked herself. Sirius's eyebrows were raised in curiosity.

"Yes, my brother…Bilious." Pressure had rendered her incapable of coming up with any other name than Ron's comical middle one.

"Weird…there used to be a Bilious here at Hogwarts when I was in first year. A teacher. They sacked him 'cause he kept getting drunk, prancing into the middle of the Great Hall during breakfast, lifting up his robes, and pulling flowers out of his—"

"_There_ you are Sirius!" James saved Ginny from hearing too much of what she unfortunately already knew about her alcoholic and creatively floral great-uncle. As Ginny spotted the scruffy-haired boy with glasses rushing to their side, the now-familiar darkness swirled closer and closer to the center of her vision—more quickly, this time, than before. _That was_ _Harry…_ was her surprised last thought before she passed out.

**_Thank you for reading lovelies! _**

**_P.S: Pottermore opens in early April, and to me that means within the first two weeks of the month! We'll see if they're telling the truth this time :)_**


	5. Chapter 5: Talking Siriusly

_**Disclaimer: Would J.K. Rowling really be posting on this site? Or would she be selling her writing for millions upon millions? A true enigma…**_

_**Chapter V: Talking Sirius-ly**_

Ginny woke up in something warm and soft that seemed to be moving. She didn't want to open her eyes, as she was very comfortable. She remembered feeling like this when she used to stay up late, thinking that her parents didn't notice that she was still awake and downstairs. Her father would carry her to bed after she inevitably fell asleep.

"What seems to be the prob—Mr. Black what on earth has happened?"

"Nothing! I mean obviously something happened, but I have no idea. One moment I was talking to her on the platform in Hogsmeade, the next moment she was sprawled on the ground," Sirius replied, slightly panicked

"Put her there." Ginny felt herself lowered onto something cool and soft. She decided to open her eyes and saw an about twenty-year-old Madame Pomfrey peering down at her with a concerned look on her face.

"I did it again didn't I?" Ginny asked.

"Again? Have you fainted recently?"

Ginny cringed at the word 'fainted.' It sounded very incapable.

"Well, not regularly, but, yeah, once before. This morning on the train I kind of did."

The head of the hospital wing stood up with a dangerous, business-like glint in her eye.

"Well, there is no question that I am going to have to keep you here overnight for observance at the very least."

"What? No! I have to talk to—I have important things to do." She sat up and swung her legs off of the hospital wing bed. "See, feeling fine already! So, I'll just, you know, get out of your hair—"

"Absolutely not! In my book, losing consciousness twice in the same day is not 'feeling fine.' You are going to stay here—"

Ginny cut her off.

"I'm sure its just coincidence. I haven't eaten much today, plus the stress of upcoming O.W.L.s…look, I promise not to do it again, but can I go? Please?"

"Miss, I really don't see—"

Then Sirius, who had been keeping quiet, spoke up.

"Madame Pomfrey, I'm sure that Ginny's alright. I think that sleeping in her own dorm tonight would help her more than anything else. But, of course, I would defer to you…"

"Well…" Madame Pomfrey, a slightly pinkish color now, turned her head from Ginny to Sirius. "I guess it would be alright for you to go. But I want you here first thing in the morning for me to look over, do you hear?" Sirius smiled widely at M. Pomfrey, who blushed a bit more and set about busying herself with some bandages.

"Thank you, I—" Ginny started, but did not finish as Sirius grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the hospital wing.

"Sirius…wait, where are we going?" she asked as they quickly passed the marble staircase leading down to the Great Hall where the feast was going on.

"Just a moment," was all he said, as he continued pulling her down the passageway and finally behind a rather large statue of Fendrow the Faithful.

"All right," Sirius started as he released Ginny's hand. "Tell me the truth. What happened on the platform?"

"I told you," Ginny said with innocently raised eyebrows. "Stress from O.W.L.s and stuff. You saw that I was tired."

"Bull," Sirius calmly replied. "That's not what happened and you know it. I saw your eyes before you passed out…you saw James and your eyes flashed kind of gold, then rolled back up in your head and you fell."

"Well, my eyes are amber, like my mum's," Ginny said, struggling to refute what Sirius said. "So they might look gold sometimes, you know, in direct light…" Ginny trailed off under Sirius's raised eyebrows and disbelieving gaze.

"Come on Sirius, what do you think is happening? That I'm, what—a time-traveler or something? That I have some secret plot?" Ginny continued, almost hysterically trying to make Sirius's suspicions seem foolish.

"Ginny, I'm not an idiot." He looked annoyed now. "You come into my room, desperate for a way to Hogwarts, wearing pajamas—"

"I told you, Muggles wear these all the time!"

"I've had plenty of experiences with Muggle girls. That's something they wear to _bed_, Gin."

Ginny paused for a moment. "What sorts of experiences?"

Sirius looked exasperated.

"Stop trying to change the subject."

"I'm not trying to change the subject, I'm just curious to know exactly what kind of experiences you're supposed to have had where you would know what someone wears to bed." At this point, Ginny was getting angry too, her temper quickly drowning out the fear she had had at almost being discovered.

"I don't have to explain myself to you!"

"I'm not asking you to, I just asked you a simple question! Why are you getting defensive?"

"I don't exactly see how what I do is any of your business."

"And I don't exactly see how what _I_ do is any of _your_ business either!"

"Look, _you_ asked _me_ for help—"

"And you helped. Thank you. Would you like a medal or the key to the city?" Sirius was silent a moment.

"Alright, it's obvious that you don't want to tell me. That's fine." Sirius brushed past her out into the hall.

As much as she wanted to call him back, Ginny watched him go without a word. _That's your anger getting in the way of your brains again, Weasley,_ Ginny thought to herself as Sirius kept walking without looking back. She let her head fall onto Fendrow's back. She honestly didn't know why she blew up at Sirius. Yes, she didn't want him knowing about where she was from…that could lead to disastrous consequences. But, really…it was that comment about girls that set her off.

_Well of course it did!_ She thought. _No one would want to hear about his…affairs. Arrogant prat, Mr. "I've-had-plenty-of-experiences_-_with-Muggle-girls."…I was perfectly justified to be angry._

Ginny stood there justifying her reaction until she heard the rumblings of the students walking up from the feast toward their dorms and remembered herself. She waited until the students had mostly passed her statue then (ignoring the small voice in her head insisting that she had overreacted, that Sirius had a right to want to know the truth, and that wondered why she cared so much about what Sirius may or may not have done anyway) set quickly off toward Dumbledore's office.

Sirius walked to the feast, fists clenched in his pockets.

_Stupid, _he thought. _Why wouldn't she just tell me? I'm not an idiot, I could have helped her…doesn't matter. She doesn't want to tell me the truth? Fine, I don't care._

He reached the doors just as they opened, and narrowly avoided getting smacked in the face.

_Trying to change the subject…it's none of her business what I do! We were talking about her…_

He stayed in place as his three friends approached.

_I'll stay out of her life if she stays out of mine,_ Sirius finally decided. For some reason this made him feel even worse.

"Padfoot! Where've you been?" James greeted his best friend.

"Places."

"I bet he's been with another girl. First day of term is a bit early even for _you_, Padfoot, isn't it?" Peter said, grinning.

"Shut it, Wormtail." Sirius growled, turning to Peter, who shrunk behind James.

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Well. Someone's cranky."

Sirius chose to ignore the comment and to continue walking at a furious pace. James put a hand on Sirius's shoulder to stop him.

"Hey, calm down. What's up? Is it that girl you took to the hospital wing?" A crease developed between James's eyebrows and he looked concerned. "You seemed pretty worried about her. Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she's just fine—a bit _too_ fine if you ask me."

Peter giggled a bit before realizing that no one else got the joke either, and he didn't have to pretend to understand.

"What?" James asked, confused.

"Nothing. Look, let's just go up to the dorms—I'm tired."

"Alright," James replied. He was used to his friend's moodiness that came and went. "So, Moony, when's your furry little problem rearing its adorable head again?" Remus's face turned downcast.

"Soon—probably the day after tomorrow. I might have to miss part of the first week of classes."

"Classic Remus—turning werewolf and he's worried about missing a review on Cheering Charms," James laughed as Peter and even Sirius grinned along, and Remus hissed "_Not so loud!_"

"Oh, no one's listening, Moony. Lighten up," Peter said, defending James as usual.

"Yeah, Remus, do really think I'd let anyone find out about your furry not-so-little-anymore problem?" James added, referring to the many inches Remus had gained over the summer.

"Well, no but…" All four boys climbed through the portrait hole and clambered up the stairs to their dorms as Remus continued, "You never really _know_ if someone's listening do you?"

_You never _really _know if someone's listening do you?_ Ginny thought to herself. _If Sirius had _truly_ been listening, he would have recognized that I didn't want to tell him—_couldn't_ tell him. And he would have been a gentleman and dropped it without leaving in a huff._

She came to a halt in front of the gargoyle she knew guarded Dumbledore's office.

"Erm…is it alright if I go up?" she asked it. "I'm sure Dumbledore won't mind."

"Oh, if you're sure, then, go on up!" The gargoyle replied cheerfully.

"Oh, really? Thanks—" Ginny made as if to go through the door behind the gargoyle, and then was confused why he did not budge and was chuckling.

"Ha-HO! Gotcha!" He suddenly stopped chuckling "Listen girly, do you think I'd be where I am today, guarding the office of one of the best wizards of our time, if I let people in because they were _sure_? Well, I wouldn't. You need a password or you don't get in."

Ginny grinned.

"Fizzing Whizzbee," she said triumphantly.

"Nope."

"What do you mean 'nope'?"

"Well, it usually means no. But in these circumstances it also means 'you're not getting anywhere near this office'."

Ginny sighed.

"Sugar quill?" She tried.

"Not even close."

"Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans?"

"No."

"Skiving Snackbox?"

"What's that?"

"Cockroach Cluster?"

"Nu—" The gargoyle narrowed his eyes. "You got lucky this time missy," he said as he slowly hopped out of the way. "…but I'll be watching you!" he called after her as she rushed up the already ascending staircase.

_**Okay, so, Ginny's kind of telling a lot of people about her big secret. But! This is for a reason…kind of. There is (usually some sort of) method to my madness ( if you squint your eyes and tilt your head 36 degrees you may be able to spot it). This is probably the last person she'll tell for a while. Or maybe some one will discover it on their own? Who knows…**_

_**Have a happy (insert current day here) and, as always, thank you so much for reading. Let me know about what you think, I appreciate all opinions.**_

**_Thanks for reading fellow Potter-peeps. Whether you liked it or hated it, reviews are always welcome._**


	6. Chapter 6: A Close Call

_**Disclaimer: Check your location. If you are in reality then no, I am not J.K. Rowling. If you are in my wildest dreams, then I am sadly still not J.K. Rowling.**_

_**Warning: **__**Nudity**__** (No, it doesn't involve Ginny and Sirius, sorry. I mean, this **_**is **_**rated T.)**_

_**Chapter VI: A Close Call**_

Ginny knocked on the headmaster's door, hearing "Enter," from within. She walked in, seeing Dumbledore bent over one of his spindly silver instruments.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Miss…" he said turning to face her.

"Weasley," Ginny replied. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows.

"Am I to take it that you are related to the delightful Gryffindor, Arthur Percival Weasley?"

"Well…yes, but it's a bit complicated." Dumbledore sat behind his desk and gestured to the chair in front of him.

"By all means, have a seat and explain."

"Sir…I've done something idiotic. I'm not sure that I can fix it."

"Miss Weasley…everyone has done things that they regret…but I have found that it is the actions that one takes to remedy their mistake that defines them rather than their one moment of rash action."

"Alright then…" Ginny began to tell Dumbledore of what had happened, every part. She even told him that she had told Molly and Arthur.

"As it so happens, I know of these new time-turners. I was outvoted in the Wizengamot to stop their development. However, as a result I know a fair amount about these devices. I will tell you all that I know.

First of all, I would not worry about changing anything that hasn't already been changed."

"What do you mean, sir?"

"You see, time operates in a cycle." The elderly man moved one of his hands in a circle. "You can think of each individual moment as constantly repeating itself in time. Therefore, whatever you will change, has already been changed and resulted in the future—your present."

"So…what you're saying is that I don't have to be careful to avoid people or anything…because in effect I've already traveled back in time and done any damage that will be done?" Dumbledore smiled at her quick understanding.

"In simpler terms, yes. Though I would advise you to keep this as secret as possible. No sense in causing unnecessary alarm. Now, you will need a "cover story" of sorts..."

"I told Sirius Black that I was here to study and take the O.W.L.s."

"Yes, I think that that will do fine. You will be able to stay in the girls' fifth year dorms, I think that it best you stay in Hogwarts, taking classes to occupy your time. Meanwhile, I will do my best to research and find some way to send you back to your own time."

"Thank you so much, Professor Dumbledore, really." Ginny said, hardly believing her luck and grateful that she had an adult onto which she could shift most of her burden. Dumbledore waved his hand at her."

"Not at all, not at all…I enjoy helping wherever I can. Run off to bed now, I believe the password is 'ubiquitous.'"

Ginny left the office feeling much lighter than when she had entered, not noticing the crease that imbedded itself between Dumbledore's eyebrows as soon as her back was turned and the worried look that crept onto his face. She walked down the halls toward the Gryffindor common room, uttering the password as she entered. Walking up to the common room her thoughts inexplicably turned, once again to Sirius. She firmly pushed them out of her head upon seeing the bed in the fifth year girls' dormitory and, finally losing consciousness purposefully, fell asleep

Sirius had been asleep for quite sometime when James rudely awoke him.

"Sirius get up—it's Remus! It's happening!"

"Whaaa…?" Sirius responded before his eyes landed on the bed next to his. Remus looked normal except for a deathly pallor, and the fact that his right hand was completely engulfed in fur and had enormous yellow claws protruding from it. "Bloody hell."

"Hell is right. The transformation is happening more slowly because he's not in direct moonlight. We need to get him out of the castle without him touching any of the light before he's done changing. You get Peter, I'll wake Remus."

Sirius, not even bothering to pull on a shirt, hurried over to Peter's bed and roughly shook him awake.

"Hey, stop it, Padfoot…'s'not even mornin' yet."

"He's changing, Peter. Remus is—right now."

"What, in the castle?" Peter was suddenly very awake.

"Yeah, we've got to get him out—and fast."

"Well…alright…" Peter got out of bed fearfully. Sirius heard James speaking to Remus on the other end of the room.

"Moony, wake up. We've got to get you out of here, mate." James spoke softly and calmly, knowing how violent and dangerous a half-transformed Remus could be. Fortunately, Remus still seemed to be mostly himself for the moment.

"What? Why?" he began before, like Sirius, catching sight of his own right hand. His face went blank. "Oh. I understand."

The four boys quickly left the dorms and headed down the staircase. James let out an almost inaudible sigh of relief when the exited the Gryffindor common room, though he was still very tense. No doubt he was relieved that Lily was somewhat out of danger. The two had exchanged letters over the summer, Lily finally deigning to speak to him once she learned they would be having to patrol corridors together most nights as co-Heads. Their relationship had grown closer in light of the dangerous times and James's gradually deflating head.

Remus looked extremely sick, paler than ever, sweating profusely and stumbling often. However, he had a grim, determined look on his face that left one with no doubt he would make it to his goal.

"Moony, I thought you said you had a day or two," Sirius said.

"Yes, well—" Remus grimaced as the fingernails on his other hand turned into yellow, cracked claws and grew three more inches, ceasing speech until they were finished. "—these things to tend to sneak up on one."

Peter hung back, as far away from Remus as he could get, chewing worriedly at his fingernails. Sirius had never appreciated just how many windows Hogwarts had had before. Now that it was imperative to avoid them, they seemed to pop into existence in every corridor the four ventured down.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, and after many muffled groans of pain from Remus, the boys reached the front doors of Hogwarts. Remus's arms and legs were now entirely covered in dark, coarse fur and his eyes had a distinctly yellow tinge to them. They made it all the way to the front steps of the castle before he collapsed. Knowing what was about to happen, Peter immediately transformed into a rat and ran up James's back to sit on his shoulder.

"Sirius, I'm going to get him to chase me to the Willow! If he gets distracted, keep him on course!" James yelled before changing into a stag. Sirius's only response was a nod before he too transformed. Meanwhile Remus was rapidly growing bigger, ripping out of his pajamas. He began to growl—louder and louder. Poised in readiness, James and Sirius waited.

Soon enough Remus got to his feet. Immediately, his eyes locked on James who was the closest to the Hogwarts entrance. Before Remus could get any closer to the school James ran into him with a force that carried them both down the steps. Upon landing, James got up quickly, circled the werewolf a few times, staying just out of reach to make sure he had the wolf's attention, then bounded off toward the Whomping Willow. Remus took off after James, and Sirius was close behind them.

Full speed across the Hogwarts grounds they ran. As they approached the Willow, Peter slipped around and rushed in between the branches to find the knot on the tree that halted the movement of the temperamental plant. Sirius and James meanwhile were in a standoff with Remus, keeping him where he was next to the tree. Human thoughts were not exactly capable for Sirius while being a dog, but he had distinct impressions of _hurry_ and _faster_.

Peter seemed to be taking forever finding that spot, and Sirius and James were tiring fighting off an almost fully-grown werewolf. Suddenly, Remus charged at James, who was ready, but switched direction in the middle of his run toward Sirius, who was not. Before either Sirius or James could react, Remus bit down right below Sirius's right shoulder. In that instant, the branches ceased to move and James, once again, rushed toward Remus, pushing him back towards the Willow as Sirius limped as best he could behind them.

After a bit of a struggle in the doorway, James succeeded in pushing Remus into the tree. Sirius entered behind the two and Peter, after again pressing the knot to set the branches moving, followed suit.

James and Sirius herded Remus into the room at the top of the passageway, then backed out of the room, allowing him to do as much damage as he wanted, James only interfering when Remus tried to exit. They spent the night this way.

Sirius felt vaguely bad leaving so much of "Moony duty" to James, but he felt extremely lightheaded due to the loss of blood, and was not sure he could stand up after a few hours in the shack, let alone fight off a werewolf. He blacked out around one in the morning.

When Sirius woke, he found a naked and scratched Remus in the middle of the decimated room, a sleeping stag in the doorway, and a snoring Peter on the bed. Sirius attempted to get up and had to grit his teeth against a growl that threatened to escape him. He turned and tried to lick his wound, but found that he couldn't because someone had tightly tied curtains from one of the windows around his massive, furry arm. He decided to return to his human form and found, to his frustration, that he had left his clothes on the front steps of Hogwarts—probably torn to bits. The curtains had fallen away from him since his arm had shrunken, and Sirius pressed them to his wound again to staunch the sluggish bleeding.

Sirius's transformation had disturbed James and woken him. The stag stretched and, upon seeing a human Remus, changed back into James. He caught sight of Sirius and smirked.

"Padfoot, if you fancied me you only had to say so—you didn't have to go through all of this." Sirius snorted.

"As if Prongs—look down."

"Aw, damn it." James said, discovering that he too, was without clothes. Peter snored rather loudly, all of a sudden and he, too, woke.

"Don't look now, Wormtail," Sirius called to him. "But you've probably left your clothes on the Hogwarts front steps too." Peter immediately jumped down and hid on the other side of the bed. Remus, too, woke and simply looked around at his three companions and was heard to mutter "_Not again_."

"Good thing I started storing extra robes here after that one time in fifth year. Remember?"

"Yeah, we had to sneak back into the castle, _sans_ clothes," Sirius replied, chuckling at the memory. "I thought you were going to die when Evans walked by that tapestry we ducked behind."

James blushed.

"Shut it, Padfoot."

"Why? It all worked out, didn't it? You two are going out now. Apparently she doesn't mind the idea of seeing you naked…"

"I said _shut it_!"

"Alright, alright!" Sirius said, still grinning and pulling on the robes that James had thrown each of them from under the bed.

Remus (fully clothed) pointed to Sirius's shoulder. "What's that?"

"Nothing," Sirius said, evasively. "The Willow caught me on the shoulder."

"Oh really?" Remus raised an eyebrow. "Has the Whomping Willow suddenly grown teeth?"

"As a matter of fact, I think it _has_. Could that be a new defense mechanism it's developed?"

"Oh come off it, Sirius. I know it was me that did that to you!" Remus said, looking disgusted with himself.

"Ah, don't beat yourself up, Moony. It's just a scratch."

"Is it? 'Cause to me it looks like a ferocious, demented wolf tried to tear your arm off."

"Like I said, just a scratch. Look, it's even stopped bleeding." Sirius pushed up his sleeve and tried to cross the room to show Remus, but had to sit down in a chair halfway across. "Okay, so it's kind of bad, but I won't go all werewolf. You bit me while I was a dog, so there'll be no infection. You have nothing to worry about"

"Nothing to worry about? Sirius, that's a cursed wound, it won't heal with magic. You'll have to wait for it to heal, like Muggles do!"

"Well, we wouldn't want Madame Pomfrey seeing this anyway, would we?"

"Stop being calm about this, I nearly killed you last night! I—I remember biting you."

"Stop it Remus, you've bitten James and me plenty of times and we're perfectly fine. We're not going to stop doing this, so you can bloody well give up trying to convince us to."

Remus, no doubt trying to do just that, shut his mouth.

"Now the only thing to do is get back to the dorms. Should be pretty easy, sun's not even up yet."

The four boys exited the Shrieking Shack, Sirius leaning slightly on James as they made their way back up the grounds toward the castle. Remus continued to look miserable the entire way.

They made their way up to the dorms, among scoldings from the various hallway portraits and their own Fat Lady, and James tore up an old pillowcase for bandages for Sirius, promising to nick some proper ones from the hospital wing at the first chance.

"Or, I bet Slughorn has some. Maybe I can convince Lily into charming him out of some."

"Yeah…great Prongs…whatever you say." All Sirius wanted to do was to fall back asleep as Wormtail had already done. "G'night, James."

"Night, Sirius. Sleep tight, don't let the werewolves bight." This earned him a glare from Remus. "What? Too soon? Sorry."

Sirius drifted off to sleep to the sound of James and Remus conversing softly.

"Moony, do you know, well, why you were so much more…erm…_angry_ this time 'round?"

"I think it's because you attacked me from the outset. You know how it's harder to keep the werewolf bits of me under control when I'm attacked."

"I was just trying to get you away from the school as soon as possible," James said, sounding guilty.

"And I agree with you James! Completely! I just think that was why I was more wolf than man tonight." There was a long pause.

"You know none of us think less of you, Remus—especially Sirius. We know you're a great guy, you just have a bit of a problem." There was a heavy sigh from Remus.

"Yeah…thanks, Prongs. For everything."

"Anytime."

**I would just like to offer some sincere apologies for not posting. And some excuses: finals, travel, writer's insecurity/block, and (I am ashamed) some good old-fashioned procrastination. As proof of my never-ending shame and contrition, I gave myself detention with Snape. It sucks, he borrowed some blast-ended skrewts from Hagrid.**

**Thanks for reading, love you guys.**


	7. Chapter 7ish: Reindeer Games

_**Disclaimer: Rowling owns the characters, settings, etc., I own the plot. Oh, and I guess Warner Bros. owns some stuff too.**_

_**Chapter VII-ish:**_

"_Hey, James," Sirius caught James's attention. He was depending on the usual din of the dining hall to hide his question. Lily, Remus, and Peter were all in deep conversation, speculating about the N.E.W.T.s, so he figured this was his best chance._

"_What's up Padfoot?"_

"_How do you know, er…" Sirius cleared his throat and leaned in closer, speaking even softer. "How do you know if you like, _like_ a girl?"_

_James looked at him in confusion._

"_Help me understand here, Sirius. You want to know how one knows if one fancies a girl. You, who have fancied more girls than the entire Puddlemere United Team put together?"_

"_No, you don't understand. I mean…" Sirius blushed for probably the first time in his seventeen-year-old life and pushed his hair away from his face futilely. It flopped back into place as soon as his hand was gone. "Like, more than fancy…I don't know how to say it."_

"_Are you saying you love someone?" James said in a voice that sounded as if it had had a 'sonorus' charm placed upon it as he stared incredulously at Sirius. "Sirius Black loves a girl? Who is it?"_

"_I'm not saying that I—" Sirius grimaced. James's eyes knowingly flicked down the table towards the redhead that had fainted last night and cut off his statement._

"_Is it her?"_

"_I swear James, if you don't shut it I will 'levicorpus' you so high in the air…"_

"_So I'm right," James crossed his arms smugly. "It _is_ her."_

_Sirius sighed. He put his hands in his hair and let them cradle his forehead as he looked down at the worn table._

"_I don't know. I just…she's pretty, but not just pretty, like the most beautiful creature ever fashioned upon this earth. And she's funny, and when she smiles…" Sirius smiled to himself. "But she pisses me off!" He looked up at James. "Like, she knows just what to say to make me want to rip every single one of my hairs out. What is that, pray tell, O knower of knowledge?" he asked sarcastically._

"_Sounds like love to me," James was barely concealing his mirth._

"_This isn't funny Prongs,"_

"_It kind of is, a bit…" James caught sight of Sirius's face. "Alright, being serious now. How do you know if you love someone…" he placed his fingers in a tent and pressed his mouth up against them. Then he sat back, puffed out his cheeks, and let the air out slowly through his mouth._

"_That's a tough one. Hmm… Okay, let me put it like this. I knew I loved Lily when she came in our compartment that time when we were all first years headed off to Hogwarts. When you made fun of Sni—" James glanced quickly towards Lily. "Severus and she stood up, told me off, and then left with him. I knew. That look…it made me feel like she saw all of me—all the squinchy bits and not just what I put out there. It partially made me never want to see her again, but mostly it made me want to see her all the time. Ever since then I've been in love with her."_

_Sirius was silent for a moment._

"_Well thanks, Prongs, but that really doesn't even make sense, let alone help me."_

"_Love's not supposed to make sense, git." James looked put out that his advice hadn't helped._

"_Did I hear my name, earlier?" Lily had extracted herself from her previous conversation and slid down the bench closer to James._

"_We believe young Sirius, here, is finally in love."_

"_Excuse me? This Sirius? Sirius Black the notorious womanizer and all-around cad is…in love?" Lily widened her eyes and opened her mouth in melodramatic surprise._

"_James, you're like my brother, but at the first available opportunity I'm going to cover you in fish guts and toss you to the giant squid."_

"_No, Sirius, this is good! You shouldn't have asked James though, boys don't know about these things."_

"_I know things," James retaliated, looking slightly hurt._

"_You know Quidditch statistics, dear."_

"_Let me rephrase: I know things worth knowing."_

_Lily rolled her eyes, smiling. "So who is she? Do I know her?"_

_James attempted (and failed) to inconspicuously look at Ginny._

"_Over there, see where I'm looking?"_

"_Oh, wow Sirius, she doesn't look all _that_ shallow." Lily turned towards him and lightly punched him on the shoulder. "Good for you!"_

_Everyone in the hall was rising to go to his or her first class as Sirius matched a death-glare against Lily's mock-innocent expression._

"_Yeah, well, thanks for nothing, you useless effing reindeer," Sirius said to James across the table._

"_Oy! I am a stag! Not a reindeer."_

"_Right, Padfoot, and I'm Cerberus, not a dog," Sirius called over his shoulder back towards James. He heard Lily say "Don't worry, I think you'd make a rather cute reindeer…" before he was (mercifully) out of hearing range._

_Sirius knew he had to get Ginny out of his head. In love or not, he had become too attached to her, too dependent upon her smile. He walked up to Marlene McKinnon._

"_Hey, Marley, meet me about halfway through class at the top of the moving staircase, kay? I have something to show you." The tone of his voice left no doubt what type of meeting he was planning to have. If making out with a girl he barely knew who had a confirmed crush on him didn't erase Ginny from is mind, then there was no hope for him_

"_Oh! Okay," and a titter was all Marlene could manage as he winked at her and walked away._

_**A/N: So, this is a drabble-ish excuse for a chapter because I wrote a full chapter and then I was all like "Ah, who wrote this? This should be burned! Whoever wrote this should be jailed and…oh yeah, it was me." (And then I went and hid from my story in my bookshelf.) So yeah, I'll be editing it. A lot. This part is a cut piece from it.**_


	8. Chapter 7: Alibies and Apologies

_**Disclaimer: Rowling owns the characters, settings, etc., I own the plot. Oh, and I guess Warner Bros. owns some stuff too.**_

_**Chapter VII: Alibies and Apologies**_

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" was what Ginny woke up to the next morning. Needless to say she was not pleased and was rather disconcerted. A girl with long, curly blonde hair and dark brown eyes filled her entire field of vision. "I'm Dorcas Meadowes, fellow fifth year Gryffindor! I heard that you were homeschooled. I think it's _so_ interesting! You'll have to tell me all about it, like, did you hang out with Muggles or wizards and…" the girl rambled without pausing for breath.

"Dori, shut up and let her breath a minute!" A girl with shoulder-length very curly black hair and honey-colored skin replaced the blonde. She stuck her hand out. "Nice to meet you, I'm Marlene McKinnon. How do you know which house you're in? Dori told us about how you just came here this year."

"You're not treating her any different, Marley!" Marlene stuck her tongue out at Dorcas, moving out of the way so that Ginny finally had a view of the rest of the room and the third girl who occupied it who looked vaguely familiar. The girl waved.

"Hi, I'm Alison Cooper. Don't mind those two, you get used to them."

"And when would that be exactly?" Ginny asked, sitting up.

"Um, well…I'll let you know when I do." Ginny laughed then looked towards the blonde.

"Okay." Ginny looked around the room that looked so much like her 4th year dorm back at Hogwarts. "Let me see if I've got this straight…" She pointed at Dorcas. "You're Dorcas, but want to be called Dori?"

"Correct," Dorcas said, rummaging through a trunk. Ginny continued, now pointing her finger at Marlene.

"And you're Marlene—"

"Marley"

"—and want to be called Marley"

"You got it," Marley replied before leaving to yell at Dori for rummaging through her trunk.

"You're Alison and would like to be called…?"

"Ally is fine."

"Great. I'm Ginny."

There was a knock at the door. Marley leaned over a bed to open it, one sock hanging off of her left foot.

"Wotcher, Molly!"

"Hello, Marlene. Could I speak with Ginny for a moment?"

Among a chorus of primary-school reminiscent "oooooooooohs", Ginny went to join a professional-looking Molly in the corridor. In fact, this Molly reminded Ginny a whole lot of one miss Hermione Granger. The older Hogwarts student handed a bundle to the younger.

"Here's some stuff—clothes, toothbrush, things like that. It should last long enough for Dumbledore to get you back to your own time."

"Thanks, Molly." Ginny smiled. "Really, I mean, you're handling all of this quite well."

Molly brushed off the comment with a wave of her hand.

"I've done stupid, rash things before. Just be careful, okay?" Molly looked at Ginny with concern and made as if to tuck the girl's hair behind her ear, but she stopped halfway there. Her hand hung awkwardly in the air until she dropped it. "Well, yes, I'll see you later, then" And she walked briskly off.

Feeling a bit melancholy, Ginny retreated back into the fifth year girls' common room. In the midst of the friendly chaos, she got dressed, brushed her hair, and followed the other girls down to the Great Hall. Determinedly _not_ looking around the hall for Sirius, Ginny kept her head mostly down for the walk to the Gryffindor table, noticing all sorts of new and interesting things about the ancient and cracked floor that generations of witches and wizards had nobly spilled all sorts of food on.

As soon as she reached the table she was overcome by a coughing fit—the kind that takes over your entire body and lasts for several seconds.

"Wow Ginny, still got your lungs?" Marlene joked as she clapped her on the back. Ginny smiled faintly back.

"I must have or they wouldn't be aching so badly." She paid no more attention to it when faced with the traditional Hogwarts breakfast. Immediately, she sat down and reached out to pull an entire plateful of cereal towards her. She caught a glimpse of who she now knew to be James Potter walking into the hall. Though her vision seemed to go fuzzy and she got that feeling that occurs when one rises much to fast from a recumbent position, she was able to keep her grip on consciousness—enough to notice the comely auburn-haired girl that walked in with him. _That must be Lily…_ she thought, and quickly turned her attention back to breakfast before she could think too much about how many years James and Lily had left to live.

"Hello? Hellooooo? Earth to Ginny? I'm asking you something."

"Oh, what? Sorry, my mind was…elsewhere."

"Obviously." Marlene offered a kind smile. "Where?"

"Oh, nothing—this and that. What did you want to ask me?"

"Just if you had any idea why Sirius Black, only the most gorgeous man at Hogwarts—"

("—excluding professor Dumbledore of course." Alison added with a grin.)—keeps looking over at you."

"What!" Ginny immediately turned to where she had unconsciously located Sirius's position before remembering that she was angry with him and turned resolutely back to face the table. "Oh, well, I don't know. Maybe he's just curious about the new girl."

"Mm-hmmm," Marlene accepted this and allowed Dorcas to start a rather meaningless conversation, for which Ginny was grateful. All she had to do was insert various, appropriate "Hmms" "Ahs" and "Definitely-s" with the occasional laugh to be considered participating, which freed her mind to think of other things. For instance: why Sirius might be continually sending her glances.

The end of breakfast came before long and a much younger (but no less severe) McGonagal walked about the hall, handing out schedules.

"Here's your schedule, Ginny!" Dorcas shoved a piece of parchment into her hands. "Look, we both have double Care of Magical Creatures first! But—oh, it's with the Slytherins. They always give me the creeps. All of them just seem a bit…off. Not quite bad, but not exactly good either."

A group of Slytherins walking past frowned in their direction.

"Dori," Alison scolded. "It was just yesterday night that the sorting hat told us to get rid of our prejudices against other houses and come together in the face of evil."

_It did?_ Ginny thought, startled. _That's what I get for missing sorting_.

"_They're_ the evil ones if you ask me. Everyone knows Salazar Slytherin was no good."

Alison simply shook her head, and Ginny silently agreed with her.

Dorcas shrugged and let the matter drop. Soon after, all the girls stood from the table, preparing to go to their first class, when Ginny suddenly remembered her appointment. She set out in the opposite direction for the hospital wing rather than her first class.

Fortunately, when Ginny arrived, Madame Pomfrey was already busy with a child who had managed backfire a spell so that he flickered between visible and invisible. Each time she got close to finishing a re-revealing spell, the boy would pop invisible again, and ruin her concentration. Because of that, Ginny was cursorily examined and quickly sent off to the remains of her first class with a healthy block of chocolate.

Ginny briskly walked towards Care of Magical Creatures. After a few minutes, she was well and truly lost. All the portraits and their frames that she usually guided herself by seemed to be elsewhere in the castle and she was surrounded by unfamiliar paintings. When she ended up at the moving staircase for the fourth time, she found Sirius Black leaning against the banister. He looked surprised to see her, but the expression quickly turned to his normal one of amused arrogance. Ginny took a deep breath, preparing herself to be ignored, taunted, or perhaps even the participant in another row.

"Sirius," she said coldly as she started down the hallway in a direction she hadn't gone before.

"Ginevra," he said with a smile in his voice. He stood up and fell into step behind her.

She inwardly winced. Even with his voice, perhaps because of it, her original name was really starting to annoy her.

"Didn't I tell you my friends called me Ginny?"

"Well, after our row last night I didn't know whether I could call myself one of your friends anymore."

Ginny didn't quite know how to respond to that. Of course she wanted to be his friend (if she was being honest, she wanted to be more than just his friend) but she hated admitting she was wrong, apologizing, or listening to other people do either if they were too "mushy" about it. Really, it was amazing she had any friends at all. Finally, she just said, "Forget about it, no big deal."

"It _was_ a big deal. I was inexcusably rude." Sirius reached out a hand to catch her robe, halt her progress, and make her look at him, something she had heretofore been avoiding. "I'd like to make it up to you. Let's start over." He smiled, released her robe, and held out his hand.

"Hullo. My name's Sirius Black. I'm a Gryffindor here at Hogwarts. Sometimes I unwittingly make a prat of myself in front of pretty girls, but please don't judge me too harshly for it."

Ginny looked at his hand, then smiled a bit and placed her own smaller one within it.

"Good Morning. I'm Ginny Weasley. I'm also a Gryffindor and I have a strange habit of forgiving those who've made prats of themselves when I've behaved pretty prattishly myself." They had stopped shaking hands but Sirius didn't let go.

"So we're still on for Hogsmeade?" The curve of his mouth was still arrogant, but his eyes suggested something different—hopefulness?

Ginny rolled her eyes and laughed. "Yes, I suppose."

"Great." His expression became more thoughtful for a second, and then he lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed them lightly. "Until then."

His rolled-up sleeves rode up and she saw the beginning of what looked like a homemade bandage that started at the elbow. It looked like it had been bled through.

"What's that?"

"That? Nothing."

Ginny raised her eyebrows and Sirius raised his as if daring her not to believe him.

"I ran in the bad way of a rabid hamster last night," he said.

"This is obviously not nothing, Sirius. Just _tell_ me…" she stopped and took a breath. This was what had gotten them into trouble the last time. "Alright, I take it back. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but…at least let me help you. Okay?"

"I don't need any help," Sirius said in a tone reminiscent of the night before.

"The bandage is way too loose. You won't stop any bleeding that way." Ginny didn't know why he wouldn't just go to Madame Pomfrey or even heal it himself, but she resolved not to ask questions.

"Do you have another bandage?"

"Yeah, in my bag."

She led him over to a corner of the expansive hallway, and rolled his sleeve the rest of the way up his elbow.

Sirius looked at her while she was busy undoing the bandage around his arm. They had both sat down, his back against the wall with her facing him. Her red hair fell slightly, covering her face as she worked at the mangled knots of the pillowcase. He had never realized before just how pretty red hair could be. It shone in the sunlight streaming in from the window above them. It had all the color of a forest fire with all the shine of a new penny. Like a just-washed tomato…

"Am I hurting you?"

"Hu-what?"

"You had this strange look on your face. Am I hurting you?" Ginny looked at him with concern, tucking some of that hair behind her ear.

"No! No, just, I guess my mind…wandered for a second." _Merlin,_ he thought, _Her eyes are even more gorgeous than her hair!_

Ginny laughed. "Yeah, that happens to me too," she said as she unraveled the last knot. She looked with concern at all of the dried blood on his arm. "Hmph."

Sirius could see just how much she wanted ask questions, but she refrained and said only "Augamenti," to summon water to clean him off. Honestly, he would gladly have told her what had happened despite his vow to stay out of her life if she stayed out of his; but he couldn't betray Remus like that.

Going by the deep crease between her eyebrows, Sirius surmised that Ginny didn't really feel like chatting at the moment, so he let his mind drift back to the conversation he had had with James this morning at breakfast…

"_Hey, James," Sirius caught James's attention. He was depending on the usual din of the dining hall to hide his question. Lily, Remus, and Peter were all in deep conversation, speculating about the N.E.W.T.s, so he figured this was his best chance._

"_What's up Padfoot?"_

"_How do you know, er…" Sirius cleared his throat and leaned in closer, speaking even softer. "How do you know if you like, _like_ a girl?"_

_James looked at him confusedly._

"_Help me understand here, Sirius. You want to know how one knows if one fancies a girl. You, who have fancied more girls than the entire Puddlemere United Team put together?"_

"_No, you don't understand. I mean…" Sirius perhaps blushed for probably the first time in his seventeen-year-old life and pushed his hair away from his face futilely. It flopped back into place as soon as his hand was gone. "Like, more than fancy…I don't know how to say it."_

"_Are you saying you love someone?" James said in a voice that sounded as if it had had a 'sonorus' charm placed upon it as he stared incredulously at Sirius. "Sirius Black loves a girl? Who is it?"_

"_I'm not saying that I—" Sirius grimaced. James's eyes knowingly flicked down the table towards the redhead that had fainted last night and cut off his statement._

"_Is it her?"_

"_I swear James, if you don't shut it I will 'levicorpus' you so high in the air…"_

"_So I'm right," James crossed his arms smugly. "It _is_ her."_

_Sirius sighed. He put his hands in his hair and let them cradle his forehead as he looked down at the worn table._

"_I don't know. I just…she's pretty, but not just pretty, like the most beautiful creature ever fashioned upon this earth. And she's funny, and when she smiles…" Sirius smiled to himself. "But she pisses me off!" He looked up at James. "Like, she knows just what to say to make me want to rip every single one of my hairs out. What is that, pray tell, O knower of knowledge?" he asked sarcastically._

"_Sounds like love to me," James was barely concealing his mirth._

"_This isn't funny Prongs,"_

"_It kind of is, a bit…" James caught sight of Sirius's face. "Alright, being serious now. How do you know if you love someone…" he placed his fingers in a tent and pressed his mouth up against them. Then he sat back, puffed out his cheeks, and let the air out slowly through his mouth._

"_That's a tough one. Hmm… Okay, let me put it like this. I knew I loved Lily when she came in our compartment that time when we were all first years headed off to Hogwarts. When you made fun of Sni—Severus and she stood up, glared at me, and left with him, I knew. That look…it made me feel like she saw all of me—all the squinchy bits and not just what I put out there. It partially made me never want to see her again, but mostly it made me want to see her all the time. Ever since then I've been in love with her."_

_Sirius was silent for a moment._

"_Well thanks, Prongs, but that really doesn't even make sense, let alone help me."_

"_Love's not supposed to make sense, git." James looked put out that his advice hadn't helped._

"_Did I hear my name, earlier?" Lily had extracted herself from her previous conversation and slid down the bench closer to James._

"_We believe young Sirius, here, is finally in love."_

"_Excuse me? This Sirius? Sirius Black the notorious womanizer and all-around cad is…in love?" Lily widened her eyes and opened her mouth in melodramatic surprise._

"_James, you're like my brother, but at the first available opportunity I'm going to cover you in fish guts and toss you to the giant squid."_

"_No, Sirius, this is good! You shouldn't have asked James though, boys don't know about these things."_

"_I know things," James retaliated, looking slightly hurt._

"_You know Quidditch statistics, dear."_

"_Let me rephrase: I know things worth knowing."_

_Lily rolled her eyes, smiling. "So who is she? Do I know her?"_

_James attempted (and failed) to inconspicuously look at Ginny._

"_Over there, see where I'm looking?"_

"_Oh, wow Sirius, she doesn't look all that shallow." Lily turned towards him and lightly punched him on the shoulder. "Good for you!"_

_Everyone in the hall was rising to go to his or her first class as Sirius matched a death-glare against Lily's mock-innocent expression._

"_Yeah, well, thanks for nothing, you useless reindeer," Sirius said to James across the table._

"_Oy! I am a stag! Not a reindeer."_

"_Right, Padfoot, and I'm Cerberus, not a dog," Sirius called over his shoulder back towards James. He heard Lily say "Don't worry, I think you'd make a rather cute reindeer…" before he was (mercifully) out of hearing range._

_Sirius knew he had to get Ginny out of his head. In love or not, he had become too attatched to her, too dependent upon her smile. He walked up to Marlene McKinnon._

"_Hey, Marley, meet me about halfway through class at the top of the moving staircase, kay? I have something to show you." The tone of his voice left no doubt what type of meeting he was planning to have. If making out with a girl he barely knew who had a confirmed crush on him didn't erase Ginny from is mind, then there was no hope for him_

"_Oh! Okay," and a titter was all Marlene could manage as he winked at her and walked away._

"Oh, hell."

"What was that?"

"Oh, ah, nothing." Sirius silently panicked as he remembered why he had been surprised to see Ginny.

"There, all better." Ginny leaned back to admire her work. She took a deep breath. "Look, Sirius…I know I upset you, not telling you the truth. And I wish I could, I really do. You've been my best friend in the past few days and…"

"Ginny, you don't have to…"

"Yes, I do, I've been horrid to you and—"

"Ginny, just—"

"Sirius, just let me say this—!"

And then he kissed her.

Ginny didn't have a chance to think about all of the kinds of wrong that this was. It was amazing, better than in her dream. It was beautiful, exciting. Unfortunately, it was also interrupted by one irate Marlene McKinnon.

_Ahem!_ "Hello Sirius."

Sirus looked up at Marlene with a sick look on his face.

"Wait, Marlene, I didn't mean for you to—" Having stood up, he doubled over when Marlene took that moment to punch him in the stomach.

"That's for being grade A arse, Sirius Black. You know, if you didn't like me, all you had to do was say so. Not make me walk in on you kissing this, this _scarlett woman!_" Marlene glared at Ginny. "You're such a _cow!_" she said before quickly stalking away.

Ginny was speechless.

"Well, that was unpleasant." Sirius stood with his hands on his knees, still doubled over from the punch of the best beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. His hair flopped all over his face.

"Really? I quite enjoyed it. Nothing I like more than being used to unwittingly make a girl feel like crap."

"I didn't _mean_ for that to happen!"

"Then explain how you just happened to be standing in this corridor!"

"Okay, yes, I did ask her up here. But I didn't know you'd be here too! I thought you were in class."

"Right," Ginny said. Her face, already pink, was rapidly darkening to red. "So you just thought you'd have both of us did you? How many others are there? Please, I want to know if I should start wearing a shield charm when I walk the hallways."

"No, listen, I didn't do this on purpose. I was just planning to snog Marlene so I wouldn't have to think about you anymore!" Sirius saw Ginny's face crumple. "Wait, no, that came out wrong…"

"No, I get it. Don't worry, Sirius, you'll never _have_ to think about me again." She started walking in the approximate direction of her second class, since she had surely missed the first one by now.

"Ginny, wait, let me explain." Sirius started walking after her.

"There isn't anything else to explain, Sirius!"

He grabbed her sleeve and she raised her wand threateningly.

"Please, just let me have one more chance. To explain. And if you still hate me, I'll never talk to you again. I won't like it, but I will. Okay?"

Ginny looked into his eyes. That was her mistake. How could she say no to those eyes. She struggled with herself for a few seconds, but she already knew what her answer would be.

"Fine. Ten minutes."

Sirius looked around.

"They're bound to see us out here if we stay much longer. Meet me tonight at one 'o' clock tomorrow morning in the third floor corridor. I'll be there."

Ginny looked at him.

"I promise."

"Okay." Without, looking at him again, she walked again towards her class, wondering why she was giving Sirius a chance.

**Well, school starts soon and that means everyone who reads this is going to really hate me in the next couple sentences. I am horrible at updating during the school year. Like, I-only-get-four-hours-of-sleep-so-my-imagination-goes-on-vacation-and-so-do-my-writing-skills terrible. So I'm going to try my super duper utmost to be better at writing regularly during the school year. You guys totally help with your favorites, alerts, reviews. Even just reading the story. Whenever I see those I feel all warm and fuzzy like I just swallowed a kitten. Seriously though—you readers are my motivation. Thank you ****.**


	9. Chapter 8: Send Her Back

_**Disclaimer: If I was J.K. Rowling I'd be able to write more consistently.**_

_**Chapter VIII: Send Her Back**_

"Must send her back, but _how._" Dumbledore muttered to himself sitting at his desk which was awash in clutter—empty, partially filled, and spilt potion bottles were strewn about the office. Several blackened (and one cracked) cauldrons and various opened books were also strewn about. The room was uncharacteristically messy.

The current potions master stood close to the door.

"Dumbledore…?" The professor hesitantly started.

"Oh. Yes…Horace, thank you for coming to see me so late." Dumbledore looked up slightly through bleary eyes at the gray-haired gentleman in a dressing gown.

"When you called me up, asking me how to send someone who had traveled with an auror time-turner back to their own time…I thought it was in theory, a philosophical, _hypothetical_…discussion question of sorts…"

"It's impossible in actuality," Professor Slughorn continued after trailing off, as if attempting to convince Dumbledore of what he knew was fact. "You of all people should know that. Those time-turners offer a one-way trip only. That's mostly why we—those who worked on them—agreed to have our memories wiped—most of the memories, at least." He continued retrospectively. "It was essentially a suicide mission from the start. Effective—but at the cost of all the Ministry's warriors."

Dumbledore looked blandly back. I remember it…or nearly do…as if it's just…_there_!" Dumbledore quickly turned his head to the right, but seemingly not able to see anything new, looked disappointedly back at the dressing-gowned Slughorn.

"She'll die," Dumbledore said mournfully and Slughorn's eyes widened, his look of surprise temporarily bringing Dumbledore out of his tired stupor. He sat up, and the distracted look at once left his eyes.

Drowning out Slughorn's alarmed "_Who…?_" with polite urgings to leave, Dumbledore showed his colleague to the door, shut it, and locked it with a tap of his wand.

He shuffled back to his desk, the sudden energy draining out of him, still muttering.

"Musn't tell anyone—but I must send her back. I have to…somehow…"

He picked up a quill and a piece of parchment from his desk and started to write.

**A/N: There's really no excuse I can give for my lateness except for busyness and old-fashioned writer's block—which isn't really an excuse, so my sincerest apologies. Anyway, this is basically a fill-in chapter (woefully short, I know, sorry!) to give you a little more information about those weirdo time turners and next time we'll see how Ginny and Sirius's meeting went. Yay!**

**PS: I have a tumblr now! You can check it out at www. lestrangewolf. tumblr. com**


	10. Chapter 9: Talking With Molly

_**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling does not forget to include chapters in her story. Therefore, I am not J.K. Rowling.**_

Ginny woke suddenly, raising up to her elbows. She took deep, gulping breaths trying to dispel the fading ache in her chest. As it gradually dispersed, so did the dream she had been having, though she tried to hang onto it. She fell back with her left hand over her heart—the place where the ache was (had been)—and closed her eyes, trying to calm her breathing and remember her dream

_Sirius_

Dreams always faded so fast...

_Sirius, young and old and very old..._

_ Dumbledore, with bloody hands..._

Ginny opened her eyes with a sigh and gave it up as a bad job, thinking that the strange dream had probably been a product of her stressful past few days. She rubbed her chest in memory of the ache, thinking of the coldness with which she had been treated since Marlene discovered she and Sirius near the stairs. She winced. Ginny hated being 'that girl', and had always hated those who were 'that girl'. And now she was responsible for someone else feeling as terrible as Michael Corner had made her feel. She had tried to apologize several times, but the death glares she had received before beginning had quailed her good intentions.

She tried clearing her throat, since sighing had made it itch. She was rewarded with a severe sore throat. Knowing she would not get back to sleep once she left the bed, Ginny got up to get some water from the far end of the room by the door. While drinking, she noticed that the clock above the mantled doorway said 11:11.

After making a quick wish, she drug the blanket off her bed and decided to wait downstairs until would go and meet Sirius.

When she arrived downstairs, and she was surprised to see Molly wrapped in a similar blanket. She tried to go quietly back up the stairs, but -

"Don't leave on my account," Molly said, patting the seat cushion next to her. "I don't bite." She thought for a moment. "Well, not yet. I don't quite know how vindictive these hormones are going to get." Ginny laughed and sat next to her, pleasantly close to the fire.

They spent a few comfortable minutes in silence.

"Sooo," Molly attempted (and failed) nonchalantly say after those minutes. "You and Sirius…"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Merlin, Molly, try to be a little more blunt next time. I couldn't quite see through the subtlety."

Molly put her hands up in an act of semi-surrender. "Give me a break. I've only been a proper…mum," (she seemed to have a hard time forming the word) "—for two days. And my kid's a teenage girl of all else!"

"Yeah, well," Ginny said, slightly abashed. "I'm not expecting, or wanting, you to mother me or anything. We're practically the same age."

More silence.

"There isn't any."

"What?" Molly said, confused.

"There isn't any. There isn't any 'me and Sirius'."

Molly raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"About 99% sure, yeah. Why?"

"There are rumors going around…"

Now it was Ginny's turn to cock an eyebrow. "And you believe them?"

"My sources are quite credible, thank you," Molly said and she sounded so much like Hermione that Ginny had to look away for a moment to laugh.

"Okay then," she said. "What are your credible sources saying?"

"A lot of people think…" Molly said, searching her offspring's eyes for the truth. "Well, a lot of people seem to be under the impression that he loves you."

Ginny sat, speechless for a moment.

"And he doesn't use that word too often. Trust me," Molly continued.

"He's sure got a ruddy way of showing it!" Ginny said, getting upset about what had happened that morning all over again. If _that_ was the way he showed love…but of course he didn't love her, it was just a stupid Hogwarts rumour. And she wouldn't care if he did. She wouldn't. She _didn't_.

"Arse," Ginny muttered, venting her feelings in that one all-purpose word.

Molly narrowed her eyes a bit. It was a look Ginny knew well. It was a look that boded ill for whomever it was meant for.

"What did he do?"

Ginny, being angry with Sirius but not actually wishing him irreparable harm, decided not to tell Molly. "Nothing. He didn't do anything. And, um," she said, noting the time again. "I have to go." She stood up.

"Meeting him?" Molly asked.

Ginny looked at her in surprise.

"Ye-no. No. Just, I'm just…No, I am not going to meet him!" Ginny's voice got more excited as Molly's smirk grew.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to stop you. But let's just be honest with each other, alright? No mothering, just honesty."

Ginny hesitated. "Okay…so what if I am?"

"I just want you to be careful. The people that get involved with Sirius usually end up getting hurt."

There was something any Molly's tone that made Ginny want to see her face, but Molly and her face were in shadow.

"I'll try to be careful," Ginny said.

"Well then," Molly gave a smile, "Go get 'em. As they say"

Ginny again rolled her eyes muttering, "I'm not about to _get_ anything." And left the portrait hole to meet Sirius. Like the first time, she was in pajamas.

_**So, um, guys. I found this chapter and apparently I didn't post it like I thought I did. So, I'm going to post this here, AND in the right spot, and I'll take it down from the "most-recent" spot once I post the ACTUAL new chapter.**_

_**Also, I apparently have chosen pajamas to be Sirius's and Ginny's "thing." Go figure.**_


	11. Chapter 10: Forgiveness

_**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling, as is evidenced by my poor update habits, and so I do not own any of the following excepting the plot and a grandfather clock.**_

_**Chapter 10: Forgiveness**_

Sirius hadn't slept the entire night. Even James, one who was usually up for anything, had refrained from staying up with him and promptly fell asleep after returning from patrolling the corridors with Lily. Unable to sit still, as usual, Sirius had paced the room like an excited (or nervous) dog, until he had run across a raggedy ball in the corner by his bed. He was now bouncing it on the wall and catching it repeatedly. He looked at the clock. It was ten minutes until one. Close enough. He grabbed James's invisibility cloak, which he had asked to use earlier in the day, and set off down the hall, placing the ball in his pocket.

On the way, he thought about Ginny—that girl that had made him almost desperate this morning. He did not like feeling desperate, it was a feeling he associated with home—a desperation to be different, to show people he was not like his parents, a desperation to get away. He had hoped to leave that feeling behind forever after this past summer.

Ginny was obviously abnormal, randomly showing up at his house and fainting outside the Hogwart's Express. He'd think it was some ploy to gain his affections (it had happened before) but the _way_ she did things…it was too genuine. She was truly upset at his house, though he knew she had been lying. The only thing that seemed real about her was her name. He knew that whenever asked about her past, she'd given him a lie. The desperation she instilled was not what he was used to—not the need to escape, but a need to make sure that Ginny stayed. When she walked away, he saw her walking out of his life forever and it terrified him. The fact that it terrified him confused him. Her leaving was just not a good situation.

So he had set this meeting—Sirius Black the womanizer, playboy and heartbreaker had asked for a chance to apologize, to explain. And even now, he still felt that bubble of fear in his chest that Ginny might not forgive him. She had every right not to. This girl had completely taken away his ability to charm, to smooth over any situation, to get whatever he wanted. But he did not feel resentful, only determined that he would not mess up with her again.

He arrived at the corridor a full five minutes early, so he removed the cloak and took out the ball from his pocket and set to bouncing it again, tempting trouble since he knew that the sound could easily be heard by a patrolling professor.

Ginny came around the corner a few minutes later, wrapped in a blanket that made her look even smaller than she was. A six foot one to Ginny's five foot two, he often felt clumsy when faced with her, afraid that she was so small and fragile that she would break if he made any sudden movements. Of course, this was far from the truth. He had seen the anger in her eyes that morning—this girl could take care of herself.

Ginny stood shivering despite the quilt she had folded around her shoulders so that it didn't drag on the ground. Her eyes looked mournful, sad, like someone had just given her a puppy and then thrown it off a cliff. Looking at her, Sirius felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He wanted nothing more in that moment than for her to be happy.

"I'm an idiot," he started. Ginny nodded in approval.

"True. Go on."

"When I said, I didn't want to think about you, I didn't mean that I didn't _want_ to, just that it's hard to."

Ginny looked at the grandfather clock next to him.

"Eight minutes," she said.

That's when Sirius decided to tell the truth—the absolute truth. Maybe with that, she would trust him enough to talk to him and perhaps even reveal her own truth someday. It was the only chance he had, so he did the one thing he hated most in the world. He became vulnerable.

"Alright, I'm rubbish at this—" Sirius took a deep breath. "I like you. A lot. And It's hard to think about you because whenever I do my chest gets really tight and I can't think clearly and I really just kind of want to kiss you. And it's really stressful so most of the time I just try to convince myself that I don't like you that much and that's why I tried to snog Marlene…" Sirius faltered when Ginny raised her eyebrows at Marlene's name, then soldiered on. "…when what I really wanted was to kiss you, but you make me nervous so I didn't try to kiss you until the exact wrong moment and I really hope that you can forgive me for that and not write me off forever and—" Realizing that he was rambling, Sirius concluded, "Yeah. I'm an idiot."

Ginny's expression had softened, though it was not any happier. She took his hand.

"Oh, Sirius." She sighed. She still had that why-did-you-throw-my-puppy look.

"Yeah?" He swallowed because he was nervous. He was nervous because he didn't know whether she had forgiven him or not. And also her hand was touching his hand. And also their faces were really very close—

Ginny stood on her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

Sirius brought his other hand up to her face. He rubbed his calloused thumb over her cheek. He could hear every breath she took—hear it falter—

And just as abruptly she pulled away, her expression even sadder. It was as if this anonymous sadistic person had now thrown her off of the cliff as well.

"I'm sorry Sirius I just—I can't." She was on the verge of tears, but none had fallen. She seemed to have forgotten that she was still holding his hand. "We can't…we can't be together. And know—just know that it's not because I don't want to. I feel the same." She tried to offer a bracing smile, and failed miserably. "Just know that okay? She finished somewhat lamely and tried to turn away to leave, but Sirius held onto her hand.

He was in a state of confusion over the recent events. She had kissed him—and then rejected him. But his determination was the same as before, that she stay in his life.

"Just a moment. You say we can't be together."

Ginny nodded.

"Does that extend to being friends?"

Slowly, Ginny shook her head.

"Alright then. We'll stay friends. And as your friend, I (quite possibly redundantly) am asking you to come to Hogsmeade."

Ginny offered a faint smile, but hesitated.

"We'll be in a group. It's not a date. Just some friends hanging out together."

"Okay." Ginny nodded again. Sirius let go of her hand.

"Alright then. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." Ginny pulled the blanket more securely around her shoulders and set off towards the Gryffindor common room.

Sirius watched her until she had entered the portrait hole, with many complaints of being woken from the Fat Lady. Then he swung out the door that had been pretending to be a grandfather clock and set the invisibility cloak on the ground inside of the very small room behind it. He then changed into his animagus form of a large, shaggy, black dog and swept his clothes into the room as well. He often transformed when he didn't want to feel his human emotions as intensely for a while. He went snuffling toward the exit of the school, not to return until right before his first class the next morning.

_**A/N: I've finally updated! **__***cheers for self* *fictional characters cheer along with her* Wooo! Party in the common room! Alright, anyway, I have set up a schedule for myself! I am going to try my **__**absolute bestest**__** to update this every two weeks. How does that sound? Okay? Alright, let's go with that. Thank you to everyone who puts up with the delays, and all of my readers in general. Happy late Halloween and early Thanksgiving. Until the next chapter.**_


	12. Chapter 11: Hogsmeade Horrors

_**Chapter XI: Hogsmeade Horrors**_

_** Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. If I did, do you really think Sirius would have died? Or Fred? Or Tonks? Or Lupin? Or Dobby? Or Creevey? Oh, great, now I'm crying.**_

The days passed quickly from September into October and, though Ginny hadn't thought it possible, she began to become used to her life in the past. She and Marlene had come to a livable, if frosty, and unspoken truce, Sirius was her friend, and she was sure that Dumbledore would come up with a way to send her home any day now. She still beat herself up sometimes for allowing herself to be so stupid and travel back in time. If she had a fatal flaw, it was acting without prior thought.

Ever since "the debacle", as she now referred to it in her head, she had been receiving the cold shoulder from Dorcas, though she and Alice were still on friendly terms. And so at mealtimes she sat with Sirius and the friends he had introduced her to—James, Remus, Peter, and Lily—who seemed to tolerate the boys with a god-like patience. Ginny had learned to harbor two separate realities in her head—the one where she stayed awake at night wondering if she could help these people, if deaths (and past events) were as inevitable as time passing, if she would ever make it home to her father and the rest of her family—and the one where she convincingly played the part of a typical Hogwart's student—albeit with a foggy background.

As the Hogsmeade "date" approached, Ginny felt more and more apprehensive. She did feel nervous about the state of things between her and Sirius—a topic they had altogether avoided since that night in the corridors—but this feeling was bigger than that, more of a…premonition. But—however many clouds she seemed to feel hanging over her when she thought about it, however fragile and complicated her relationship with Sirius was, and however much she absolutely shouldn't even be considering dating the future godfather of her brother's best friend—she couldn't help but be happy. She had fallen for Sirius, for better or worse, and though she couldn't allow herself to be in a relationship she was excited at the prospect of spending the entire day with him.

The Hogsmeade day was bleak and dreary after a string of sunny ones, and Ginny had regretted not looking outside her window to check the weather before venturing out. In only a short-sleeved shirt and jean shorts, she was mentally hitting her forehead for not dressing more warmly. Sirius, on the other hand, was dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt, jeans, and was carrying a jacket in his arms that Ginny was determined not to ask for. She had noticed him smirking at her dress choice and she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

Everyone in their group had left. James and Lily had gone first, to who knows where doing who knows what. Remus had gone second—complaining of a headache he went back in the direction of Hogwarts. Peter, after a not so subtle glare from Remus, had followed. If Ginny hadn't have known better, she would say a certain arrogant Gryffindor had planned the entire thing. But she wasn't in the mood to scold him for it, so they walked around the town, chatting comfortably, until they finally ended up leaning on the fence outside the shrieking shack.

Sirius held out his jacket after a few minutes. "Here. You've been freezing for the past twenty minutes. Too stubborn to ask for it I guess," he said with a grin.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Black. I am perfectly comfortable."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Just take the jacket, Ginny. No sense in you catching a cold because you can't admit you're dressed wrong for the weather.

"I am dressed perfectly appropriately, thank you very much," Ginny replied.

"Why are you're teeth chattering then?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"Perhaps I am simply shaking with fear from the looming and ominous presence of the shrieking shack."

Sirius snorted. "Take the jacket, Ginevra."

Ginny bristled at the mention of her full name, reminded of times when family members would scold her. "No."

"Just take it."

"I said no," Ginny saw what he was going to do a split second before he did it, and she ducked the jacket he threw at her, laughing as she ran away. She dodged through the sparse trees, as Sirius followed her. She turned her head and saw that his stride was longer than hers and that he was gaining. She turned back around, still laughing and running, only to feel the happiness draining out of her like someone had attached a siphon and was sucking it out. She felt herself slowing down to a stop. She didn't know why, only that it seemed highly unlikely she would ever feel happy again.

It took her until Sirius caught up with her for her to see the two dementors gliding closer in between the trees, and at that point she hardly cared.

"Ginny, get behind me," Sirius's voice sounded like a growl as he stepped out in front of her. Ginny did nothing, and also didn't resist when Sirius pushed her behind him. What was the use of action? She'd never get home to see her family, and, here, she could never be with Sirius. What was the use of anything? Ever?

Ginny continued to stand in passivity as Sirius transformed into a huge shaggy dog and growled at the two dementors. A vague, far-away part of her mind was shocked at this, but the larger part just wanted to lie down in the snow. She complied and dropped heavily into the crunchy white stuff, and for what seemed like a long while, Ginny thought about what it would be like to lay on the freezing ground until everything was over, one way or another, while newly-shaggy Sirius stood over her and barked fiercely at the dementors, snapping at their diseased hands and raggedy robes whenever they ventured too close. She noted without interest that he seemed to be slowing down, and that these dementors seemed to be trying to reach her face.

Their was something in the back of her mind, something bothering her that wouldn't let her slip into oblivion, something she could almost remember…

_Sirius touching her face in that room at Grimmauld place…_

_ Sirius smiling when he met her…_

Was Sirius in trouble?

_ "Hey, beautiful girl, sorry to wake you up…"_

_ Asking for her forgiveness…_

_ Sirius infuriating her…_

_ Looking at her in the great hall…_

She heard the dog's barks getting fainter with more spaces in between them.

"_So why are wearing…er… that particular ensemble to Hogwarts, again…?"_

_Sirius making her smile… _

Someone was trying to hurt Sirius. _Her_ Sirius.

"_I really just kind of want to kiss you…"_

And that was just unacceptable.

Gathering the strength she had left, Ginny reached into her pocket and pulled out her wand. She took a deep breath and uttered the spell that she had never thought she would need: _Expecto Patronum!_

A faintly bright, but still shining—and larger than normal—sparrow flew out of the end of her wand. Wherever light from the sparrow touched, the demontors started to steam and it looked almost as if they were burning. They hissed and retreated into the woods, the sparrow in full pursuit.

Ginny felt sick and shaky. She turned towards Sirius, trembling

"Sirius..."

Sirius, or Snuffles at the moment, cocked his head with a grave expression, looking as concerned as a dog could.

"I'll take that jacket now,"

Sirius turned back into his human self, laughing and crouching next to her. He touched her face with his hand, still looking worried. Ginny smiled faintly.

"You don't look so good, Gin," he said, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"You make a cute puppy," she said before losing consciousness.

_**A/N: How are dementors on school grounds? I don't know...maybe we'll find out in the next chapter. Thank you to everyone for reading and especially anyone who has left a review. You guys are just awesome-sauce. On a completely and totally unrelated note, I'm reading **__**The Fault in Our Stars**__** by John Green. Not even halfway through and I've teared up twice. This does not bode well for the state of my emotions come the end of the book.**_


	13. Chapter 12: Waking Up

_**Disclaimer: If I were J.K. Rowling, I wouldn't have to worry about finals and could write whenever I wished.**_

Ginny woke up in a sunny room with a pounding headache and fed up with passing out.

"Oh, lovely, you're awake!" a cheerful voice said from above. Ginny recognized honey blonde hair and unnervingly large gray eyes. Lucine Eastchurch was sitting at the foot of her bed on a high stool.

"Lucine?" Ginny asked.

"That's me. You've been unconscious for…" Lucine took time to consult her notebook. "…about twelve hours. Everyone was very anxious when you were brought in. You looked dead," she continued in the same pleasant voice.

"_Twelve hours?!_" Ginny was shocked. This was ridiculous, and it had to stop. She could not keep fainting at inopportune times for indefinite hours. Obviously something was very wrong. She was going to talk to Dumbledore right then. She sat up and immediately felt woozy.

"Do you feel dizzy?" Lucine asked. "Madame Pomfrey said that would happen. She's talking to Dumbledore in the hallway right now. She also said that you should eat the chocolate that she left and that you're not allowed to leave the hospital wing."

"Not allowed to leave the hospital wing? I'll show you who isn't allowed to leave the damn hospital wing." Ginny was tired of waiting. She had been waiting to hear news for her father in her own time, waiting for Dumbledore to come up with a solution in this one. And she had questions. What had happened to Sirius? Where was he? Was he okay? So, she did what she usually chose to do when frustrated and impatient—she acted rashly.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, unwisely ignoring the increasing dizziness. As soon as she put her weight on her feet, she almost crumpled straight to the floor. Would have too, if Sirius had not been there to catch her.

"Steady, Gin. There we go."

"Sirius," Ginny allowed herself to take in the fact that he was okay. "Sirius," She became confused. "Wait, why didn't I notice you sitting there before?"

"You're not exactly in the best of shape, Gin. I'll bet you didn't notice you're in pajamas either." He kept his hands at her shoulders and waist. Ginny glanced down and blushed. She was, in fact, in standard Hogwarts-issue pajamas that were decidedly too big for her. She decided to ignore the fact.

"Where's Dumbledore? I have some questions to ask him. Like why we were attacked by dementors in the middle of Hogsmeade."

"Ginny. Calm down. Get back in bed. Dumbledore is right outside talking to Madame Pomfrey. He'll probably be in here in a second and you need to rest." Sirius said, a bit tiredly. He looked exhausted like he hadn't slept in a long while.

Ginny was aware that Sirius still had his hands resting on her. She wished that he would put them in his pockets or something, he was making her heart beat too fast to concentrate properly. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow stubbornly.

"I'm not getting back into bed. Apparently I've been in there for twelve hours. I've rested long enough."

Sirius dropped his head and sighed, then chuckled and looked up at her.

"You are so damn stubborn," he said, still grinning. Then he quickly pulled her into a hug."

Ginny stiffened at first, then quickly relaxed and let her head rest on Sirius's chest. She could feel him still quietly chuckling.

"Ginny, you almost died today…and you still refuse to do what I say. Even when you know I'm right."

"You almost died too," Ginny whispered. She voiced a fear that she only would have allowed herself in the seemingly imperturbable shelter of his arms. "I was scared…for you." She cleared her throat. "For both of us. You know…dementors…" she finished lamely. She had heard a noise from behind her that reminded her she and Sirius were not alone.

Lucine sat with her face in her curled fists watching the two with a pleasant expression on her face.

Sirius coughed, releasing Ginny who was turning even redder. He stood close enough that she could still feel his body heat.

Dumbledore chose that moment to walk in the door with Madame Pomfrey bustling behind him.

Ginny caught Dumbledore looking at her, and he was unable, for a second, to hide the sadness in his eyes.

"Miss Weasley," he said. "I believe I owe you and Mr. Black an explanation."

_**A/N: I think Lucine is a Ginny/Sirius shipper. She's one of us. Also, what is the name for Ginny/Sirius? Ginirius? Sinny? I haven't heard one. Leave what it is in a review, if you know, por favor. Also, again, sorry for the terribly late update. School tackled me from behind when I wasn't looking. I've stupefied it for now…**_


	14. Chapter 13: Adjusting

**_Chapter XIII: Adjusting_**

**_A/N: _**

**_A recap of sorts: Ginny went back in time because her father getting attacked by a giant snake stressed her out. While in the time of the Marauders she meets Molly-her mother- who is pregnant with her oldest brother and helps Ginny along whenever she can. She also runs into Sirius and they find themselves mutually attracted to each other, only to get attacked by dementors at Hogsmeade. This girl cannot catch a break._**

Dumbledore took a deep breath as Ginny moved to sit on her bed and Sirius moved to sit beside her.

"Miss Weasley, I'm afraid I won't be able to return you to your own time."

The room was very silent as Ginny digested this information. She was silent because she'd always known hadn't she? Known that this time she'd made a mistake too big to rectify. In the back of her mind—where she'd always pushed all her doubts and fears—she'd known. Hadn't she?

The silence stretched on and on to the point of breaking, as Ginny didn't really feel up to or obliged to saying anything at the moment. The only noise that could be heard was Lucine's quill faintly scratching in her notebook, oblivious.

"Wait a moment," came from Sirius. "Wait—just—okay. What do you mean that you can't 'return her to her own time?'"

"Mr. Black, Miss Weasley is here because of a time turner—misplaced in time."

"Well—okay—Than just use the time turner to send her back then," responded Sirius, taking the news with a remarkably little amount of incredulity.

"I'm afraid that it is not that simple Mr. Black." Dumbledore turned to Ginny. "I am truly sorry. I've gathered your friends here because…well I rather thought you would need some support at this time." He made as if to leave.

"Professor," Ginny couldn't let him leave without at least one of her questions answered

"Yes?"

"Why were there dementors in Hogsmeade? Sir."

"It seems that your being misplaced in time has created a scent for not just dementors, but any sort of magical creature—good and bad. While within the walls of Hogwarts it is sufficiently masked, but without…" He straightened his cloak, and wouldn't meet her eyes. "Of course you are welcome to stay at Hogwarts as long as you like, Miss Weasley.

"Scent?"

"Yes, a scent of sorts." Dumbledore looked more and more comfortable once he realized that Ginny was more focused on understanding her situation then blaming him. "It's a sort of aura that you have from being displaced in time. Some creatures can smell it, but it can also be detected with an certain spells."

Ginny nodded and placed a hand over her headmasters.

"Thank you, Professor," she tried to smile. "Please know that _I_ know that you tried your best. I shouldn't have messed with that thing in the first place."

"There are certain techniques I can teach you, so that you won't be quite as detectable. Over time, you will can be almost like one who hasn't time-traveled at all."

"Thank you." Ginny felt the gathering of those rare tears. Her eyes and nose burned and she felt like being alone. "If you don't mind, I think I'd like to have some time to myself."

"Of course. I'll see you in one week after classes for your first session."

Ginny nodded her goodbye,.

"Lucine," she said next. "Thank you so much for coming, but I need to be alone just now."

Lucine got up and solemnly walked over to give Ginny a hug.

"It'll be alright."

"Thank you," Ginny replied, surprised at the physical contact. She awkwardly patted the taller girl on the back.

"No really," Lucine stepped back and gripped Ginny by the shoulders, looking into her eyes. "It will be."

"Okay," Ginny figures she had about forty-five seconds before the water-works started and she would rather no one be in the room when the tears started flowing.

Lucine smiled and left.

Ginny turned to Sirius and found him looking at her with a worried look on her face.

"Are you sure you want to be alone right now?"

"Yeah, I think it'd be best."

"Are you alright?"

Ginny raised her eyebrows, partially at Sirius's question, partially to widen her eyes so that she could keep the tears in her eyes a few seconds longer.

"Sorry," Sirius rubbed the back of his neck. "Stupid question."

"I'll be okay Sirius, I'd just really like to be by myself."

"Right." Sirius turned to go, hesitated, turned back and gave her a hug. When he pulled back, he looked as if he were about to say something, but decided against it and walked out the door.

As soon as it had closed behind him, Ginny allowed herself to cry. She found herself in an even worse situation than the last time she had done this exact thing.

* * *

><p>Days later, Ginny was woken by the rude sound of curtains being thrust back. Even from behind her closed eyelids, she could tell that bright sunlight had flooded the room.<p>

"Alright, enough moping," said a familiar voice. "Today's the day you're getting out of that bed.

"Molly," Ginny cracked open an eye. She could see a short figure with bright red hair partially silhouetted by the wide window behind her and directly across from Ginny. "I am _ill_."

"Ill?" Molly asked, moving towards her bedside "Or moping?"

"I don't see why the difference matters," Ginny answered, turning over and pulling a pillow over her head.

The pillow was snatched away just seconds later.

"That's enough of that. You've had four whole days to languish in here—"

"Do you even know what's happened—?"

"—worrying everyone to death, especially Sirius who—by the way—told me everything so _yes_, I do know what's happened and I still think you're being ridiculous."

"Ridiculous?" Ginny said in disbelief, but before she could defend herself any further, Molly took a big and obvious sniff.

"To be blunt, you stink. Go take a shower and then put these on." Molly threw some clothes she'd been carrying at Ginny. The undershirt shirt hit her in the face.

"You know, in some countries, this is called abuse."

"Look, Ginny, I know you've been through a hard time, and it's not going to get any easier for a while. That being said, lying in bed for hours on end, not bathing, isn't helping anyone. So scooch." Molly smiled, knowing she'd won.

Feeling an acute sense of déjà vu, Ginny moved out of bed and towards the shower kept in the hospital wing as slowly and obstinately as she could, throwing dirty looks at Molly the whole way.

Once in the shower, Ginny turned the enchanted knob so that water poured out of the faucet above her head at a barely-bearable, scalding temperature. She had to admit—Molly had been on to something. It felt good to let the water wash over her and rinse off all of the grime—most of it invisible—that had accumulated over the days. She saved her hair for last, using the shampoo that rested on a shelf within the shower, lathering and rinsing it twice. Once out, she wrapped a towel around herself, and squeezed out the excess water, then ran her hands through her hair a few times because of the lack of availability of a brush.

Gazing at herself in the mirror as gathered all the hair she could into one large braid, she could see why Molly had decided to take matters into her own hands. There were purple half-moons under her eyes, her lips were chapped, and she could already count two new spots.

_Why does that matter?_ A voice in the back of her head asked. _Why does what you look like matter when you're stuck here, stuck forever—_

But Ginny truncated that line of thought almost as soon as it began. Over her four days in bed, she'd been practicing the art of not thinking about certain things. She'd gotten pretty good at it, and knew that if she was going to make it through the days—and many of the days to come—she couldn't face the fact that she'd gotten herself stuck in time, possibly putting in jeopardy her own timeline—not to mention anyone else's—

All right maybe she wasn't as good at it as she'd thought.

While she pulled on the clean robes Molly had brought for her, she kept her mind strictly on the arithmancy class that she was taking and how much she loathed it.

Ginny stepped out of the door, and found Molly waiting. The older girl had her arms crossed hands on her hips, looking proud of her handiwork.

"Much better," she said, walking forward. "Much, _much_, better."

"Alright, alright," Ginny rolled her eyes. "I know I looked a mess before, no need to rub it in."

Molly reached out to smooth back Ginny's hair, and moved her hand down her face to cup her cheek. The look on her face was uniquely tender.

"You're going to get through this," she said firmly. "You're strong and capable."

And a small part of Ginny believed her.

"Well," Molly clapped her hands together, and was suddenly all business as before. "Let's take a walk. There's some things that you need to be caught up on."

**_A/N: Hey, long time no see!_**

**_Yeah, guys, I messed up. I let eleven months go by without updating and I sincerely apologize. For excuses, I present the usual suspects of school work and writer's block. However, participating in NANOWRIMO this past month has taught me that there's no excuse to write a little bit every day, and I think that'll help me keep up more with posting this in a timely fashion._**

**_I thought of scrapping this since it's been so long, but I do have some ideas on a new direction to take it, so the feedback I receive (whether people want me to continue or just chalk it up as a failure on my part and move on) will determine whether I continue this past this point. That being said, even if no one wants me to continue, if I get suddenly re-inspired I will continue posting._**

**_Sorry, again, and I hope you all can forgive me._**


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